Dr. Aisha Francis Formally Installed as President & CEO

May 16, 2022

On May 13, 2022, Dr. Aisha Francis was formally installed as President & CEO of Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology. (Watch the full ceremony on YouTube).  Dr. Francis was appointed President and CEO on July 1, 2021, after serving as CEO since August 2020. She had previously served as chief of staff to the former president.

“When the Trustees had the task of finding a new president, the choice was clear and right before our eyes. Dr. Francis was serving as chief of staff, and the Trustees saw first-hand her natural leadership skills, her passion for the Institute’s mission, and her care for, and connection to, our students,” said Marisa Meldonian, co-vice chair of the Board of Trustees. “Today’s investiture of Dr. Aisha Francis, the first woman and the first Black woman to head the college, has historical significance. And given the vision Dr. Francis has already put into action, today’s investiture also marks a new era for the college.”

“All of us at the Cummings Foundation understand and believe in the transformative power of Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology. We know that under the leadership of Dr. Francis, the Institute will go on to do marvelous things,” said Bill Cummings, founder of Cummings Properties and co-founder of the Cummings Foundation, which committed $12.5 million to support the Institute in developing programs that excite students and meet the evolving workforce needs of the region’s leading industries.

“Dr. Francis will succeed in taking the college into a new era because she is not afraid of change. She understands that change is vital, and she pushes us all to share her courage and embrace change ourselves,” said Sally Heckel, director of learning. “We in the college community have never been more optimistic about the future of this institution and the future of our graduates.”

In her installation speech, Dr. Francis highlighted two people as her inspiration for leadership. The first being Benjamin Franklin, the college’s namesake, who left a significant sum of his estate to Boston to teach people career-ready skills to prosper and become good citizens. The other source of inspiration is her great-great-aunt Georgia Overton Cash Frierson, who was the superintendent of Industrial Education for Davidson County, Tennessee.

In recently discovered daily journals, Ms. Overton Cash Frierson wrote of attending the commencement ceremonies at the 37 schools she oversaw in a role somewhat similar to Dr. Francis’ today.

“I am certainly inspired by the past to empower a bold future because of the history and mission of Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology. I believe you are, too,” said Dr. Francis, president & CEO. “We have work to do. And we know what the assignment is: lead by example and learn from the past, even when, or should I say especially when, times get tough. I know that together, we will find a way, or make one.”