Alumni Trustee Candidates
James Murawski
James Murawski earned his Associate Degree in automotive technology from STCC in 1983. While working in the automotive industry, he was able to earn a Master’s Degree in Education from Cambridge College which led to a 32-year teaching career in the Springfield Public School System. Currently semi-retired, James enjoys family time, substitute teaching, and restoring classic cars and radios. He is a lifelong resident of Chicopee, Ma where he lives with his wife, Patricia, and their two sons, Kevin and Michael.
How would your professional experience and commitment to STCC help to make a significant contribution as the Alumni Trustee?
STCC provided me with the means to continue my education during a time of national recession. My degree from Western New England College / University left me in debt with no real-world marketable skills. STCC provided the opportunity to gain marketable skills in the automotive field. My automotive degree from STCC allowed me to obtain a position at Sears & Roebuck in the Holyoke Mall. I held my position at Sears for six years which allowed me to pay off my student loans, continue my education, and restore my self-respect. The faculty and job placement services at STCC were far above those provided by Western New England University. I formed lasting friendships with my fellow automotive students. My time at STCC was critical to my future career success. In retrospect, STCC is the most positive learning experience in my whole academic/student career. With my thirty-four-plus years of experience in education, I feel that I could make positive and helpful suggestions for the continued growth of STCC. I would like the opportunity to give back to STCC for all it has done for me.
Laura Tompkins
My name is Laura Tompkins and I am a current Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer at Cooley Dickinson Hospital and a proud STCC alum. I have lived in Western Massachusetts my whole life, but love to travel whenever I can - my most recent adventure being to Arizona and Utah to explore the Grand Canyon and multiple other National Parks. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, doing puzzles, and doing anything outdoors with my friends and family. I recently obtained my Bachelor's degree in Imaging Sciences Leadership and am currently working toward a Masters's degree in Health Professions Education in order to learn more about teaching, learning, and enriching the lives of students. I strongly credit my time at STCC for much of my personal development into the confident, well-rounded, and caring young woman that I am today.
How would your professional experience and commitment to STCC help to make a significant contribution as the Alumni Trustee?
The longstanding commitment I have toward promoting STCC and advocating for the students and community is the main reason that I believe I could make a significant contribution as a Trustee. After my first year at STCC in 2014-2015, I recognized the impact that the college was already having on me with its diverse student body, dedicated faculty, and commitment to affordability. Starting in 2015, I began serving as a student leader at STCC in the Student Ambassador Program. This program gifted me with a vast array of opportunities to assist and represent the college both internally and externally. My leadership and communication skills blossomed during my time serving in the Student Ambassador Program and I was able to make meaningful connections within the community because of it. My involvement within the college and community was recognized with multiple awards and scholarships, including the Edmond P. Garvey Award, STCC Works Scholarship, Alumni Association Scholarship, Co-curricular Scholarship, and STCC Professor Marcia Sias Scholarship. The duty I had to act as a positive representative for the college was something that genuinely sparked my interest in being involved in higher education. After graduating from STCC in 2018, I knew I wanted to further my education in pursuit of leadership opportunities that could connect me to a future career in education.
Since then, I attained my bachelor’s degree in Imaging Sciences Leadership and am now enrolled at MGH Institute of Health Professions working toward a master’s degree in Healthcare Professions Education. My goal is to one day return to STCC as a faculty member and serve as the program director for the sonography program. For now, I am connected to STCC as a clinical instructor for the STCC students who are placed at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, where I am employed as a full-time sonographer. In addition, I also serve as a member of the Advisory Board for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at STCC. This allows me to have direct communication with the STCC faculty to provide meaningful feedback to advocate for current and future students in the sonography program. The opportunity to further advocate for STCC, as well as its students and faculty, would be an honor. I credit much of my professional development to the experiences that STCC provided for me and am a direct representative of how STCC supports students and transforms lives. My testimonial regarding my positive experience can even be found on the STCC website under the sonography program. I am a dedicated and responsible worker who brings passion to all my pursuits, and I hope I have the opportunity to show that commitment by serving as a Trustee.
Laurie Weisse Martin
Laurie Weisse Martin is the Vice President of Finance-Support Services at Baystate Health, Inc. in Springfield, Massachusetts which is the largest integrated healthcare delivery system in Western Massachusetts employing over 13,000 team members.
At Baystate Health, Laurie is responsible for overseeing Financial Reporting, Investments, Debt, Cash Management, Payment Systems, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Decision Support, and Strategic Planning. She supports the various subcommittees of the Baystate Health Board of Trustees and coordinates all external audit activities. Laurie is very active with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives at the health system and Co-Chairs the Military Veterans Employee Resource Group.
Prior to rejoining Baystate Health after serving as the Director of Treasury Services there for 20 years, Laurie was the Chief Investment Officer for the State of Connecticut Office of the Treasurer. There she managed a team of professionals responsible for the investment of over $33 billion dollars of pension assets for state and local employees including the public school teachers across Connecticut. She was active in financial literacy programs and managed the Connecticut Higher Education Trust college savings plan for Connecticut residents.
Laurie earned an MBA from UMASS Amherst, a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from American International College, and an Associate Degree in Accounting from Springfield Technical Community College. She is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.
How would your professional experience and commitment to STCC help to make a significant contribution as the Alumni Trustee?
STCC represents the beginning of my educational career in Accounting and Finance and really set the foundation for my additional secondary education and my career. The Accounting program at STCC was one of the best in the State of Massachusetts and I am forever grateful for this foundation that was affordable and available in my hometown of Springfield. As a work-study student at STCC, I had the ability to work in Financial Aid throughout my undergraduate experience and this set the stage for my love of non-profit work. I went on to start my career in public accounting at KPMG Peat Marwick and continued to learn more about non-profit finance. From here, I spent time in the insurance industry focusing on investment accounting but returned to the nonprofit world at Baystate Health in 1997. I spent over 20 years progressing through this organization managing investments, debt, cash management, and pension management. In 2016, I took the opportunity to focus more on pension investments and became the Chief Investment Officer for the State of Connecticut, learning a tremendous amount about not only public pensions but the role that trustees play in governance and administration. Finally, in 2021, I returned to Baystate Health as the Vice President of Finance-Support Services and work there today. I think my experience that began at STCC makes me uniquely qualified to be a strong Trustee and would love the ability to contribute in a positive way