On September 18, Anna Maria College inaugurated their 11^th president, Mary Lou Retelle. A Lawrence, Mass. native, President Retelle is Anna Maria’s first laywoman president, and has outlined plans to promote and grow the Paxton liberal arts college.

Founded in 1946 by the Sisters of St. Anne, Anna Maria College is now home to over 1,600 students studying in one of the College’s 35 undergraduate or 21 graduate programs. This year, the college received a 45 percent boost in student enrollment.

President Retelle believes “keeping that momentum going is a priority” for the future of AMC. At the inauguration, many speakers described Retelle’s presidency as a “chance for rejuvenation” and that her optimism and progressiveness, which has already led to the launch of several new programs on campus, will create a new vision for AMC.

President Retelle also focused on the goal of further expanding graduate program offerings in order to create more paths and opportunities for students seeking continuing higher education. Beyond program offerings, President Retelle reiterated that Anna Maria College students will always remain her top priority.

“Educating students to become leaders in their field, in their personal lives, with a focus on service should never, will never, be passé,” Retelle said.

Attendees of the inauguration included Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, members of the AMC Board of Trustees, Paxton’s Chair of the Board of Selectmen Peter Bogren, and many members of the community, college faculty and administration.

Read more about President Retelle’s inauguration at Anna Maria College in Worcester Magazine, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, MassLive.com, The Eagle-Tribune, the Worcester Business Journal, the Catholic Free Press, and more.