Westfield State College (WSC) President Evan S. Dobelle announced today Springfield businessman and community leader Gerald W. Hayes has been appointed Vice President of Administration and Finance. Dobelle also announced Robert A. Hayes, PhD, is permanently named Vice President for Academic Affairs. He has served as interim Vice President for Academic Affairs since July 2008. The appointments were approved at the June 11, 2009 meeting of Westfield State College Board of Trustees.
“We are very pleased to announce the administrative appointments of Jerry Hayes and Bob Hayes especially since both were the overwhelming choices of their respective search committees, the Westfield faculty and staff and the President’s office,” said WSC President Evan S. Dobelle. “Jerry and Bob are respected leaders whose experience will make them trusted resources on our campus and within the community. It is inspiring to have the selection process be the result of a cohesive campus voice and to see a clear path ahead for this college.”
Gerald W. Hayes, who earned his Master’s in Education from Harvard University and undergraduate degree from the College of Holy Cross, brings more than 30 years of experience in administration and strategic, financial and operational leadership to this position. His past experience includes 17 years at the Phoenix Life Insurance Company in Hartford, CT, where he served as Vice President of Real Estate and Corporate Services responsible for all corporate real estate nationwide. He also served as Executive Vice President of the Phoenix Realty Group where he was responsible for management of a $500 million real estate portfolio of more than 30 office properties. Hayes has held a number of municipal and non-profit leadership positions among various communities in Western Massachusetts including Holyoke, Lowell and Springfield. He was a trustee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Chairman of the Springfield Riverfront Development Corporation, and a board member of Hampden Affordable Housing Inc.
Robert A. Hayes was first appointed interim Vice President of Academic Affairs in July 2008. In this continued capacity, he will serve as the College’s chief academic officer, and will work collaboratively with the faculty to establish priorities and standards of excellence for Westfield’s academic programs and activities.
Hayes joined Westfield in 1997 as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology, where he later served as coordinator of graduate programs. Most recently, he served as dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education. Hayes maintained a private clinical practice in Westfield until 2008 with an emphasis on behavior management, chronic illness, stress management and anxiety and mood disorders. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Association of International Education Administrators. He holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from George Washington University, a master’s degree in developmental psychology from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in theology from Ozark Christian College.
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