Bertolino Is LSC's Next President

Dr. Joseph Bertolino will be the 15th President of Lyndon State College. Vermont State Colleges Board Chairman Gary Moore made the announcement February 19.

Moore stated, "I am pleased that Joe Bertolino will be the next president of Lyndon State College. He is a very enthusiastic individual who impressed the faculty, staff, and students during his two-day campus visit. I am sure his enthusiasm will prove to be contagious and look forward to great things happening at LSC during his tenure."

A 13-member Search Committee made up of LSC faculty, staff, students, VSC Trustees and members of the Lyndon community at-large began a national search in October 2011. Four semi-finalists visited the campus in late January for two days of meetings and interviews. The search committee recommended the two finalists who returned to LSC on February 15 for interviews with the VSC Board of Trustees.

The Board of Trustees selected Bertolino, who formally accepted the appointment on February 17. The president is responsible for executive leadership and the operation and management of the College within the policies of the Vermont State Colleges.

Bertolino, 48, comes to LSC after eight years at Queens College, part of the City University of New York. As vice president for enrollment management and student affairs, he was primarily responsible for supervising 22 departments including Admissions, Career Services and International Student Services. Under Bertolino's leadership, a new Veteran's Services Office and a Health and Wellness Center were created. He was also the executive assistant to the president, and an associate professor and chairman of the Department of Student Personnel.

In 2003, he earned his Doctorate in Higher Education Administration and Organizational Leadership from Columbia University. Bertolino said in a letter to the search committee that working with first-generation college students from modest income and immigrant families in New York City has been among his professional focuses. He goes on to mention a "particular passion" of his, "the pedagogy of service learning," about which he wrote his dissertation.

Bertolino says, "I am deeply honored and humbled to have been invited to serve as Lyndon's 15th president. I truly felt welcomed, comfortable and at home while visiting the College, and was struck by the authenticity, genuineness and sense of community the people at Lyndon possess. Time and time again, I was reminded that relationships and students matter here. As one student told me, ‘I love Lyndon because people here care about me.' This is a message I will be proud to deliver as president."

"It is Lyndon's mission to serve first-in-family and modest income students that I find particularly appealing. This is an institution with a wonderfully dedicated faculty and staff, and with premier academic programs. I am excited about the possibilities of what Lyndon can and will be--innovative, dynamic, entrepreneurial--an institution serving students, the community, the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont, and the nation. As president, I will be committed to ensuring that LSC is no longer New England's best kept secret, but instead a nationally-recognized and respected college with strong partnerships and institutional pride."

Bertolino lives with his partner of eighteen years, Bil Leipold, and their two dogs. His greatest joy is his eight godchildren.

Bertolino steps in at an exciting time in LSC's history. The College recently capped off its centennial celebrations with the successful completion of an ambitious $10 million fund-raising campaign; the Athletic Department just finished its third year as a full member of the NCAA; and the College is enjoying near-record enrollment—due in part to the growing popularity of programs in Atmospheric Sciences, Criminal Justice, Electronic Journalism Arts, Exercise Science, Mountain Recreation Management, Music and Business Industry, and Visual Arts.

"The goal of any presidential search is to find the right leader for the institution's time and circumstance" noted Vermont State Colleges Chancellor Tim Donovan. "The Board of Trustees and I believe that Dr. Bertolino is just that leader. I'm confident that Lyndon State College is poised for great things and that the college will embrace the leadership Joe will bring."

Lyndon State College enrolls more than 1400 students and employs 270 full- and part-time faculty and staff. Bertolino takes the helm from Steve Gold who served as Lyndon's interim president since Dr. Carol A. Moore's retirement in June, 2011.