The Former Massachusetts State Senator and Obama White House Official have been elected to the University Board of Trustees.
Longmeadow, MA (March 2023)—Bay Path University is pleased to announce that Eric Lesser, attorney, educator, and former four-term state senator representing the First Hampden and Hampshire districts of Massachusetts, has been elected to the Board of Trustees.
“Eric Lesser has been a loyal and longtime supporter of Bay Path University and he has a strong commitment to our mission and our students,” states Bay Path University President Sandra J. Doran. “His many years of public service at both the state and the national level have given him incredible knowledge and insight on government and policy that will add significant value to both our board and in furthering our initiatives at the University.”
Eric Lesser was one of the original members of President Obama’s White House team. From January 2009 to July 2011, Lesser served as special assistant to the president’s senior advisor, David Axelrod. Later, he served as the Council of Economic Advisers’ director of strategic planning. In 2014, Lesser was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate representing the First Hampden and Hampshire district.
As a state senator, Eric Lesser led and served on numerous committees and commissions. He chaired the Joint Committee on Economic Development & Emerging Technologies; the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development, and the Senate Committee on Ethics. He also was vice chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation and co-chaired the Massachusetts Commission on the Future of Work. Among his many priorities, he was a key proponent of the East-West Rail, a leading advocate for civics education, a champion for alleviating student debt, and a national leader on the future of work.
“Bay Path University is an anchor institution for the greater Springfield area and has been on the vanguard of training a new generation of professionals in health sciences, technology, and business,” states Lesser. “I am especially grateful for their leadership opening new pathways for women from underrepresented communities, their continued dedication to serving the diverse people of western Massachusetts, and the leadership role they’ve taken in life sciences, online and adult education, and other emerging trends in higher education. I look forward to joining the inspiring group of leaders who make up their Board and helping to support their students and alumni.”
While a sitting state senator in Massachusetts, which has a full-time legislature, he also lectured in political science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, consulted for seven seasons for the hit HBO series “Veep,” and founded and taught a “Running for Office” workshop series at Harvard University.
Currently, Lesser is a senior counsel at WilmerHale, a Boston-based law firm, where he is a member of the Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Group.
Lesser earned his JD from Harvard Law School in 2015 and his BA from Harvard College in 2007. He currently resides in Longmeadow, MA, with his family.
About Bay Path University
Bay Path University was founded in 1897. Today, Bay Path’s enrolled population of over 3,000 includes traditional undergraduates; adult women at The American Women's College, the first all-women, all-online accredited degree program in the country; and women and men master’s and doctoral students. Bay Path embraces the vision that every learner’s dreams of a better career, a richer life, and a brighter future will be realized.
