BEVERLY — Following a six-month nationwide search, Montserrat College of Art announced yesterday it has hired a new president, Stephen D. Immerman, 56, of Scituate.
The Beverly college's board of trustees voted unanimously to appoint Immerman after he beat out 77 other candidates. He'll begin the job Nov. 16.
"It is a distinct honor to be joining the community of Montserrat College of Art at such an important time in the evolution of the college," Immerman said in a prepared statement
Immerman will replace interim President Helena J. Sturnick, who oversaw construction of a $6.7 million dormitory complex in downtown Beverly and saw enrollment increase to 340 students, up from around 265 when she started in 2007.
Immerman comes from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he's been employed eight months as the special assistant to the vice president for resource development. Previously, he was a senior associate dean for student life at MIT for several years, he said.
Immerman has a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania and certificates in leadership from MIT and in management from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He also has a Master of Science in education from the State University of New York at Albany and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the State University of New York at Potsdam.
According to Lee Dellicker, the college's trustees chairman and chairman of the search committee, Immerman stood out the best to all the constituencies at the college.
"Our ideal candidate was someone who could raise money, someone with background in art — or at least an appreciation of the arts, and probably, most important, a good manager, someone who is fiscally responsible and someone who could manage the school well," Dellicker said. He added the school needed an administrator familiar with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, which provides accreditation services for more than 2,000 public and private institutions in the six-state region.
That's a pretty broad criteria," said Dellicker, president of Windover Construction. "We're very fortunate Steve brought all of these things to the table.
In an interview, Immerman said the sense of community at Monsterrat was a major attraction.
"Monsterrat is a very special place," Immerman said in an interview. "These are people who care deeply about one another and take care of one another. But in that context, they really understand education. They invite the students to join them, accepting where the students are as artists and colleagues, and then help them find their voice.
"They also understand their responsibility as they help students grow and become contributing members of society. It's truly a wonderful balance."
Immerman and his wife, Darcy, have two adult sons.
Darcy Immerman manages the energy efficiency and carbon management global market segment for AECOM.
The couple plan to move to the North Shore, potentially to Beverly, before Nov. 14.
"It would be great if I could walk to work," Immerman said.
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