Press Release

BHCC President Mary L. Fifield Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Bunker Hill Community College President Mary L. Fifield received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts National Network of Women Leaders (MNNWL) at the 2013 President’s Dinner and Leadership Award Ceremony on June 11. The ceremony was held at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. Fifield retires as BHCC President on June 30 after more than 16 years during which the College’s enrollment increased by 117 percent.

PresidentThe Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a woman leader in higher education who throughout her long career has demonstrated significant leadership and promotion of women in the field. The awardee exemplifies the principles in the ACE National Network’s acronym IDEALS, which stands for Identify, Develop, Encourage, Advance, Link and Support as ways to advance women in their careers in higher education.

“Dr. Fifield has provided exemplary leadership motivated by a passion to serve diverse communities, grant access to underserved individuals and ensure successful educational achievement,” said Susan C. Wyckoff, Ph.D., chair of the MNNWL Executive Board. “Her lasting legacy includes the creation of visible, innovative employment pathways and partnerships between industry and community colleges to promote the economic development of the region. Praise and public recognition for Dr. Fifield’s successful advocacy and innovative practices are plentiful.”

Wyckoff also noted the ways in which Dr. Fifield’s access and success initiatives have been especially responsive to the needs of working women, and how they have reflected the importance of providing comprehensive mentoring and guidance to professional women. 

Fifield served as the Governor’s appointee on both the Workforce Investment Board for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and as a key member of the Governor’s Leadership Transition Team for Higher Education.

MNNWL is affiliated with the American Council on Education’s Inclusive Excellence Group and the American Council on Education’s Women’s Network.

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About Bunker Hill Community College
Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, enrolling approximately 18,000 students annually. BHCC has two campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, and a number of other locations throughout the Greater Boston area. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sixty-five percent of the students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls nearly 600 international students who come from 94 countries and speak more than 75 languages.