BOSTON -- Oct. 16, 2013:Completing the second day of his statewide bus tour, UMass President Robert L. Caret today met with a delegation of Massachusetts mayors and said the University's desire to assist cities connects back to its original and enduring mission of service to the Commonwealth.
"As a public university, UMass has a particular obligation to the citizens of the Commonwealth and to the communities where they make their lives and raise their families," President Caret said. "This is a mission that we take very seriously and strive to fulfill."
President Caret added: "We are the University that wakes up every day asking: How can we make life better in Massachusetts?"
The meeting with the mayors took place as President Caret, accompanied by UMass Board of Trustees Chairman Henry M. Thomas III, completed the second day of his statewide bus tour.
This year's tour, titled "Commonwealth Tour 2013: Commitment, Quality, Impact," include stops in Springfield, Hadley, Lowell, Fall River, New Bedford, Hingham, Boston and Milford.
The five campuses of the UMass system work with cities and towns across the state in various capacities, providing training for municipal officials, working with schools on issues including curriculum development and undertaking studies on a variety of civic issues.
"Cities confront an array of challenges and issues and need and deserve our support," said Chairman Thomas, who has led the police and fire commissions in his home city of Springfield and is recognized as a key civic leader.
"To be fully successful, the University of Massachusetts and our cities need to maintain a close partnership," Chairman Thomas added.
Said President Caret: "We are connected to our cities in towns in many ways and always stand ready to assist the Commonwealth's communities."
The mayoral roundtable was organized by Mayor Joseph Sullivan of Braintree, who is president of the Massachusetts Mayors' Association.
The municipal leaders attending the roundtable were:
Mayor Joseph C. Sullivan, Braintree
Mayor William F. Scanlon, Jr., Beverly
Mayor Henrietta Davis, Cambridge
Mayor Carolyn A. Kirk, Gloucester
City Manager Bernard Lynch, Lowell
Mayor Arthur Vigeant, Marlboro
Mayor Daniel Rizzo, Revere
"As a graduate of UMass, I always appreciated the quality of our University system and now as a mayor, I have an even greater regard as to the value that UMass offers our Commonwealth educationally and economically," said Sullivan, a UMass Amherst graduate.
"This roundtable discussion provided us with an opportunity to have a direct dialogue with President Caret and Chairman Thomas on how our cities can assist UMass and how UMass can assist us as we pursue our mutual missions of service," said Mayor Sullivan, who also commended President Caret for "striving every day to bring the UMass story to the citizens of the Commonwealth."
Earlier in the day, President Caret met with New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and discussed potential wind-energy industry partnerships.
Contact: Robert P. Connolly, 617-548-0238; Ann Scales, 617-287-4084
Laura Wareck Krista Robinson
lwareck@oneillandassoc.comkrobinson@oneillandassoc.com
Mobile: 978-660-9587Mobile: 617-650-6153