Message from the President and CEO
Applying to college can be an overwhelming process. With over 4,700 degree granting institutions in the United States alone, choosing a college can be daunting. Deciding what to study can be even more complicated. On the one hand, you want to learn about things that you find exciting and want to know more about. On the other, you want a major that will help you find a good paying job after graduation. College is a big investment and the decision of where to go and what to study will influence other larger decisions that will ultimately shape your life.
If you are reading this, then I want to congratulate you on discovering one of the best colleges of industrial and engineering technologies in the country. Franklin Cummings Tech, founded in 1908, has been preparing young people for success in technical fields for over a century. We focus on the technical skills that employers seek, using hands-on, collaborative teaching. And we also help you build your 21st century skills: communication, critical thinking, professionalism, sustainability, and team work. Do you love science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM)? Are you are naturally curious about what technical innovations are coming next? Do you enjoy taking things apart to figure out how they work? If so, you’ve found the college that will help you hone your curiosity into sought after and valuable skills in the job market.
Are you thinking about graduating from college in two years or less? Then think about this: a 2020 report from the Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce (CEW) titled "The Overlooked Value of Certificates and Associate's Degrees" reports that a worker with a certificate or an associate degree in certain STEM fields can make as much as a bachelor’s degree holder. Benjamin Franklin’s programs are focused in high-demand areas such as energy, health care technology, and computer networking, where associate degree and certificate holders can land recession-resistant jobs that earn enough to support a family. An associate degree can ramp up your earning power in half the time and for much less money than many four-year options.
Please take a look around our website to learn more about our programs. View videos featuring our faculty and students and learn about the incredible support and mentorship we provide. I hope you will choose Franklin Cummings Tech for yourself. Here, 84% of our graduates find a job in their chosen field or continue to advance their education. We welcome you to find your pathway to success here as well.
President and CEO Biography
AISHA FRANCIS
Aisha Francis, PhD, became the first female President in the more than 100-year history of Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology in July 2021. Previously the college's Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Francis oversees the day-to-day operations of the college and plays a critical role in advancing its mission.
Dr. Francis is an award-winning nonprofit leader and educator with broad experience in strategic planning, philanthropy, board relations, marketing, and communications. She believes in the ability of effective organizations and well-supported individuals to transform underserved communities for the better, which is her life’s work. She enjoys serving as a strategist and implementing dynamic new programs at best-in-class organizations that improve access to and equity of educational and economic opportunities.
In her previous role as the college’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Francis built the college’s network of supporters through external and government relations and oversaw selected aspects of administrative operations. Prior to joining the college, she served as the Managing Director of Development for Harvard Medical School, raising funds to support medical student scholarships as well as diversity and inclusion programs. She previously spearheaded marketing and fundraising for Economic Mobility Pathways and held leadership positions at the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and Boston Medical Center.
Her background is in academia and she began her career as a college educator of English Literature and Women’s Studies. Dr. Francis has published original scholarship in these areas of study and pens opinion pieces and offers commentary on matters relevant to higher education.
Her professional and personal achievements are widely recognized. She is a 2022 and 2023 recipient of the Boston Magazine 150 Most Influential Bostonians, a 2022-2024 Boston Business Journal Power 50 Movement Maker, received the 2023 Pinnacle Award for outstanding contributions in the non-profit sector from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and was named in 2021 as a Get Konnected Most Impactful Woman.
Dr. Francis contributes to the civic health of Greater Boston through volunteer work and advocacy. Dr. Francis holds gubernatorial appointments to the board of directors of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MASSCEC), the state agency dedicated to the growth of the clean energy sector in MA, and the New England Board of Higher Education. She serves on the board of directors of the Association of Independent Colleges of Massachusetts, Boston public radio station WBUR, and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable (MBR). She is an advisory board member of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Eastern Bank, the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM), and New England Women in Energy (NEWIE).
Dr. Francis resides in Hyde Park with her husband and two young children. Originally from Nashville, TN, she completed her undergraduate education at Fisk University, then earned a masters and doctorate in English Literature from Vanderbilt University.
(Photo credit Vanessa Leroy)
Performance and Accountability Council
The Performance and Accountability Council (PAC), which comprises senior staff directly reporting to the President/Chief Executive Officer, meets regularly to discuss administrative and operational issues and new ideas and initiatives. The council offers advice and recommendations and adopts policy and procedures for the advancement and well-being of the College.
Strategic Priorities
The college was founded on the bequest of Benjamin Franklin to create opportunities to train the young people of Boston in the trades. This goal—to develop an educated and productive citizenry through training in practical arts—remains relevant in the 21st century. The region and the nation have seen a decline in opportunities for young people to find work that provides upward mobility while industrial growth is limited by a lack of suitably education workers. Our strategic priorities are to continue to expand outreach to community, potential students, and employers, and grow the college’s ability to close both of these gaps through strong student support and industry-informed curricula.
Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees members represent a wide range of business, employment, education, and civic organizations. The board plays a key role in the college’s governance and strategic planning.
Officers
 Turahn Dorsey, ChairTurahn Dorsey is Chief Impact Officer at Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, where he plays a key leadership role in advancing the Foundation’s approaches to economic mobility and inclusion, as well as guide efforts in measurement, evaluation and learning. He also consults independently on issues related to economic inclusion and racial justice in Boston. |
 Marisa Meldonian, MPH, Co-Vice ChairMarisa Meldonian has spent much of her career focused on community health programs and pathways for economic mobility both in Boston and abroad. She currently serves as Director of The Shah Family Foundation and was previously Chief Operating Officer of the Lewis Family Foundation. |
 Rahkeem Morris, Co-Vice ChairRahkeem Morris held 13 hourly jobs in the course of a decade, all while earning his high school degree through night courses. While earning his Harvard MBA, he co-founded HourWork, which delivers innovative recruitment and retention solutions to help some of the most well-known companies in the world connect with, hire, and retain hourly talent. |
 Claire Wadlington, TreasurerClaire Wadlington has extensive experience with management of startup ventures and venture capital funds. As Managing Director at 1414 Ventures, she backs pre-seed and seed stage founders focused on creating innovative digital identity solutions. |
 Maureen Pompeo, ClerkMaureen Pompeo is an Independent Consultant who specializes in large-scale planning efforts for health and human services organizations, including strategy, government relations, and implementation. |
 Aisha Francis, PhD, Trustee (ex-officio)As President & CEO of Franklin Cummings Tech, Aisha Francis oversees the day-to-day operations of the college, management of the senior leadership team, and plays a critical role in advancing the mission of the college. |
Members
 Peter Bauer, TrusteeA three-time tech founder, Peter Bauer led Mimecast, a large cyber-security business, for 21 years until his retirement in 2024. He is now focused on serving on the Mimecast Board and engaging in pursuits, philanthropy, and projects that have the potential to positively impact the world through climate tech ventures, workforce development, and sustainability. |
 Rodger Brown, TrusteeRodger Brown has 30 years of experience producing affordable housing and is currently Managing Director of POAH (Preservation of Affordable Housing), a real estate development firm focused on preserving, creating, and sustaining affordable homes that support economic security, racial equity, and access to opportunity for all. |
Mary Churchill, PhD, Trustee |
 Chenita Daughtry, TrusteeChenita Daughtry is Acquisition Program Manager for the US Air Force. She is a senior-level, PMI-certified IT project manager with over 20 years of experience in the areas of project management, quality assurance, process improvement, implementation management, and software engineering. |
 John F. Donohue, TrusteeJohn F. Donohue co-founded Arbella Insurance Group in 1988. Since then, he has served as chairman, president, and Chief Executive Officer of the company. Throughout his career, he has worked to address many of the complex challenges facing our communities. |
 Tiffany Dotson, PhD, TrusteeTiffany Dotson is a Learning and Leadership Development scholar/practitioner with more than 28 years of experience growing individuals and leaders. Her current role is Vice President, Head of Enterprise Learning and Development at Liberty Mutual Insurance, where she oversees the strategic direction for developing the pipeline of talent at all levels. She was previously a leader of internal Executive Education at JP Morgan Chase. |
 Caroline Fay, TrusteeCaroline Fay is the former Co-Founder and Board Chair of skills-based hiring platform Skillist, which she recently sold to the national nonprofit Opportunity@Work. A Boston-are native who now resides in New York City, she is currently on the Product Marketing team for the HR tech company Lattice. |
 Chris Jones, PhD, TrusteeDr. Chris Jones is an author, entrepreneur, strategist, and educator. With graduate degrees in nuclear engineering and urban planning, and 20 years of experience in energy, infrastructure, community development, and business, he has used his background to advance innovation and entrepreneurship. |
 Rachel Kaprielian, TrusteeRachel Kaprielian is Director/East for U.S. Government Relations and Public Policy for McDonald’s Corporation where she leads state and local Government Relations and Policy for the Eastern United States, with a more direct focus on New England. She came to the corporate sector after a distinguished career in senior leadership roles in federal, state, and municipal government. |
 Paul Macrina ’82, TrusteePaul Macrina is President of Paul Macrina Electrical Contracting Inc., a full-service electrical contracting firm providing electrical design, specifications, and installation for residential and commercial customers. He earned his Associate Degree in Automotive Engineering Technology from Franklin Cummings Tech. |
 Stetson Marshall, TrusteeStetson Marshall is an educator, entrepreneur, and President and CEO of Comprehensive Consulting Group LLC, a management consulting firm with core capabilities in risk advisory and program management. His passion for compliance and risk management is mirrored by his passion for education, sense of community, and affinity for giving back. |
 Trinh Nguyen, Mayor’s Representative to the BoardTrinh Nguyen is Chief of Worker Empowerment for the City of Boston. She oversees the newly created Cabinet for Worker Empowerment, which will play a major role in creating green jobs with livable wages, good benefits, and strong worker protections across the city. |
 Fernando Rodriguez-Villa, TrusteeFernando Rodriguez-Villa is Co-Founder of AdeptID, a social impact venture that uses machine learning to identify transferable skills in the workforce without college degrees. He is particularly drawn to opportunities with large data sets related to complex social/economic challenges. |
 Andrew Tarsy, TrusteeAndrew Tarsy is Managing Director at Koya Partners | Diversified Search Group. He formerly led Emblem Strategic LLC, a coaching and consulting firm working with clients on social impact and business advantage and was also a partner in Conscious Customers LLC, which focuses on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in business. He teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. |
 Mayor Michelle Wu, Trustee (ex-officio)Michelle Wu become the first woman and first person of color to be elected Mayor of Boston in 2021. She previously served as President of the Boston City Council and got her start at City Hall in the administration of Mayor Thomas Menino. |
 Rahul Yarala, TrusteeRahul Yarala has more than 20 years of expertise managing complex technology programs and is currently Executive Director of the Wind Testing Center at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, one of the world’s largest wind turbine blade testing facilities. |
 Anna Yu, TrusteeAs Artists For Humanity’s Executive Director, Anna Yu brings over 20 years of business and nonprofit management experience to achieve growth, through a unique combination of strategic planning and operational excellence. |
Emeriti Members
Anne Bailey Berman, Trustee Emerita
Blair Brown, Trustee Emeritus (in memoriam)
Ryan E. Hutchins, Trustee Emeritus
Gilbane Building Co.
Michael Mazzola ’48, Trustee Emeritus (in memoriam)
former Franklin Cummings Tech President
Christopher Morss, Trustee Emeritus
Retired Educator and Author
William Spring, Trustee Emeritus (in memoriam)
Rev. Nancy Taylor, Trustee Emerita
Old South Church
Board Committees
| Committee | Committee Chair | Committee Members | College Staff Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Committee | Turahn Dorsey | Co-Vice Chairs: Rahkeem Morris and Marisa Meldonian Treasurer: Claire Wadlington Clerk: Maureen Pompeo | Dr. Aisha Francis |
| Academics Affairs | Mary Churchill | Caroline Fay, Chris Jones, Paul Macrina, Marisa Meldonian, Rahul Yarala, Chris Morss* | Dr. Marvin Loiseau |
| Future Forward Campaign | Turahn Dorsey | Peter Bauer, Chenita Daughtry, Turahn Dorsey, John Donohue, Paul Macrina, Rahkeem Morris, Chris Morss*, Regis Lino- Kelly, Norman Stein | Courtney Roy-Branigan |
| Finance, Audit & Investment | Claire Wadlington | Chenita Daughtry, John Donohue, Paul Macrina, Rahkeem Morris, Andy Tarsy, Chris Morss*, Regis Lino- Kelly, Norman Stein, Dr. Ingrid Tucker, Robert Zaccardi | Kevin Hepner |
| Governance & Strategy | Andy Tarsy | Chenita Daughtry, Rachel Kaprielian, Marisa Meldonian, Maureen Pompeo, Anna Yu, Chris Morss* | Dr. Aisha Francis |
| Real Estate & Capital | Rodger Brown | Roger Berman, Chenita Daughtry, Trinh Nguyen, Andy Tarsy, Marty Jones, Dan Tangherlini | Kevin Hepner |
| Notes: 1) Board Chair and CEO are ex-officio members of all committees 2) Italics means the listed committee member is not a Franklin Cummings Tech Trustee 3) Asterisk indicates the member is a Trustee Emeritus | |||
