Bedford resident Dr. James Mabry announced Tuesday that he will be retiring on June 30, 2021, as the fourth president of Middlesex Community College.
In a letter to staff, President Mabry, 68, said the early announcement “will enable the Board sufficient time to conduct a comprehensive, national search to find the next president and implement a smooth transition in a time of substantial challenge.”
Click this link to read President Mabry’s full statement
“I am committed to leading the MCC community through this pandemic and preparing the college for full online capabilities in the fall,” he stated. Middlesex is considering online as well as classroom options for the coming year.
Dr. Mabry was inaugurated in October 2015, succeeding President Carol Cowan. His letter to staff included categorized bullet points of achievements over the past four-and-a-half years. Each section of the list began with the word “Together.”
“Next year will be the 50th anniversary of this outstanding college, and we have much to celebrate and much to look forward to,” he wrote. Middlesex began in leased space in two buildings of the VA Hospital on Springs Road, and today has campuses in Bedford and Lowell.
The president and his wife Judith have been active in volunteer leadership as residents. He served on the search committee that recommended finalists to succeed retiring Town Manager Rick Reed, and she has chaired the local Cultural Council. They have been visible supporters of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast and other community events.