Four Aboard
HCC Foundation welcomes new alumni board members
HCC Foundation, Inc., the nonprofit fundraising arm of Holyoke Community College, has added four new members to its Board of Directors, including two alumni.
The new board members are:
Rob Cestola, of Southampton, a certified public accountant, and tax and finance consultant who serves as board treasurer for Dakin Humane Society; Dan Desrochers, of South Hadley, director of communications at Amherst College and former marketing director at Greenfield Community College; Deborah Rodriguez, of Holyoke, an HCC graduate from the class of 2004, licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and founder of FAROS counseling services; and Matt Manganelli, of Southampton, an HCC graduate from the class of 2009 and retail lending sales manager at Westfield Bank who serves on the Western Mass Mortgage Review Board for the Massachusetts Division of Banks.
“Attending Holyoke Community College and earning an accounting certificate was an important step in my return to higher education as an adult,” said Manganelli. “I went on to the University Without Walls program at the University of Massachusetts, graduating with a BA in accounting, and then Western New England University for my master’s.”
New board members attended their first meeting Dec. 3.
“We are thrilled to welcome these community leaders to the HCC Foundation Board of Directors,” said Amanda Sbriscia, HCC’s vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the HCC Foundation. “The expertise and unique perspectives that Rob, Dan, Deborah, and Matt bring to the board will strengthen our ability to advance the Foundation's mission, which is ultimately to support the success of every HCC student. This is such a committed and passionate board. Their leadership and good governance are what enables the HCC Foundation to be a strategic partner to the college.”
The HCC Foundation has total assets of $25.5 million and an endowment of $18 million, the largest of all 15 community colleges in Massachusetts, due in large part to nearly 200 endowed scholarships and other funds established by alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the college. In 2024, the HCC Foundation provided more than $6 million to the college to support scholarships, academic programs, student support services, and facility improvements.
In 2023, the HCC Foundation Board of Directors was recognized by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges with the John W. Nason Award, a national honor that recognizes exceptional leadership and initiative.
PHOTO: HCC President George Timmons, center, welcomes alumni Deborah Rodriguez '04 and Matt Manganelli '09 to the HCC Foundation Board of Directors.
