Celebrating Two Longtime Trustees

July 24, 2024

Franklin Cummings Tech recently celebrated two longtime Trustees whose terms ended at the college this summer. David Fischer and Roger Berman joined the Board in 2015 and each served the college for 9 years. They became familiar faces on campus by interacting with students, faculty and staff at career fairs, galas, community conversations, and many more events and meetings. David and Roger’s industry expertise and passion for transformative technical education were invaluable assets to the Board.

David Fischer served as a Trustee of the College from 2015 to 2024. From 2021-2022, Dave served as Chair of the Future Forward Campaign Committee. Under his leadership, the committee raised over $2.5 million in scholarship funds for students and worked tirelessly to secure funding for a new campus in Roxbury. David retired from Gold Hill Capital, where he was a Partner for 12 years, to spend more time with his wife, Carol O’Connor-Fischer, and to travel the world and enjoy the company of their children and grandchildren. An avid cyclist, Dave enjoys the outdoors and volunteers with several local nonprofits.  He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1982 with a BA in Economics.

Courtney Roy-Branigan, Chief Campaign Officer notes, “Dave has a quiet grace and an authentic passion for the mission of Franklin Cummings Tech. His board leadership and unique talent in building relationships across the college—from the students he mentored to the faculty he championed, Dave’s impact on the college has been an inspiration to us all.”

Roger Berman served as a Trustee of the College from 2015 to 2024. He served on the Real Estate and Capital Committee, and the Governance and Strategy Committee. Roger helped usher the College through a protracted real estate negotiation over his decade of service. He liberally shared perspectives that helped the college mitigate risk and grow its core business.

Kevin Hepner, Chief Financial Officer, commented, “Roger Berman asked questions and helped us think through all the angles concerning the various issues we were facing.”

Roger has been the President of The Berman Company for 40 years. He graduated from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1972 with a BA in Political Science and Government. He is married to Anne Bailey Berman, Trustee Emeritus. Together Roger and Anne have shared 25 years of volunteer service to Franklin Cummings Tech.

President & CEO Aisha Francis, PhD, said, “It has been a pleasure working with these two outstanding Trustees. Their commitment to our students has always been reflected in their approach to guiding our strategy. They will be missed but we will continue to feel the impact they have created during their time here.”

Thank you, David Fischer and Roger Berman for your service to Franklin Cummings Tech.