STCC announces business, civic leader Victor Woolridge as speaker for 2023 Commencement
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Victor Woolridge, a lifelong Springfield resident and business and civic leader who served on the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees, will be the featured speaker at Springfield Technical Community College’s 56th commencement on June 1, 6:30 p.m., at the MassMutual Center.
Woolridge grew up in Springfield’s Hill McKnight neighborhood and is the retired managing director for real estate debt capital markets for Barings in Hartford.
Victor Woolridge
“It is an honor and privilege to be chosen as speaker for STCC’s commencement,” Woolridge said. “STCC is a vital institution in our community that does a great job preparing students for their next phase of life. STCC offers a high-quality experience to its students, and I’m proud to be asked to speak to the graduates on June 1.”
STCC President John B. Cook, who will preside over the ceremony and award degrees and certificates to the graduates, said he is delighted that Woolridge will serve as featured speaker.
“Victor Woolridge is an inspiration through-and-through” Cook said. “He has accomplished so much through his professional work and community service, and his personal connection to the college provides a unique outlook.”
Woolridge is the parent of an STCC graduate from the Occupational Therapy Assistant program.
Woolridge earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1980. He has been a certified commercial investment member since 1990 and worked in various MassMutual investment management subsidiaries, including Barings, for 41 years until his retirement in 2021. At Barings, he was responsible for coordinating the financing of assets and portfolios in the firm’s broader equity real estate portfolio, including execution of derivatives to manage interest rate risk.
With strong relationships across the Commonwealth, Woolridge served on the UMass Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2022, including roles as Chair of the Administration and Finance Committee, and Chair of the UMass Board, where he led a search process for the university system president. He also served as Board Chair for the UMass Building Authority, and recently chaired the UMass Amherst Chancellor Search Committee.
He was previously Board Chair for Baystate Health and an Investment Committee member of the Springfield Venture Fund. Mr. Woolridge also served on the Investment Committee of the Boston-based Life Initiative, which finances community-based non-profit entities across Massachusetts.
Woolridge serves on the boards of UMass Global, Owl Rock Capital Corp., Baystate Health, Fallon Health, and the Springfield Basketball Hall of Fame.
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (413) 788-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu