BIOGRAPHY OF
Michele D. Perkins, Ed.D.
15th President of New England College
Michele Perkins brings a well-established and successful history in higher education to her position as the fifteenth president of New England College. She began her service to the College in the fall of 2001 as Vice President for Enrollment. Two years later, as Senior Vice President, her responsibilities included all areas of admission, financial aid, student accounts, student development (including residential life, athletics, health and counseling, career counseling and academic support), registrar and public information. Dr. Perkins was instrumental in founding the current NEC program in graduate studies, launching NEC’s MFA in Poetry, its M.A. in Public Policy, and the College’s first 100% online undergraduate degree program in healthcare administration. Prior to serving New England College, Dr. Perkins held positions as Interim Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment at White Pines College; Director of Enrollment Management at New York Law School; Director of Admissions at Trinity College; and Director of Graduate Admissions at Emerson College. She also taught speech and drama at Emerson College and Curry College. Additionally, she has worked with colleges and universities across the country on a wide range of projects as an independent consultant. Her expertise includes enrollment management, recruiting and retention, and strategic planning. Dr. Perkins has conducted extensive research on the role of the college president and the critical decisions that can determine success or failure for an institution. In 2007, Dr. Perkins earned her Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of
Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She holds an M.A. with Distinction, in Communication Studies from Boston’s Emerson College. Her undergraduate degree is a B.S.S. in Theatre from Northwestern University. As a member of the Milton Ensemble, a readers’ theatre group dedicated to performing all books of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, President Perkins is able to enjoy and share her enthusiasm for the arts. She has served as a judge for the New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud competition and is a past board and company member of the Champlain Arts Theatre Company, Vermont’s only professional Shakespeare repertory theatre. Michele’s interests and talents also include playing classical piano, gardening, and gourmet cooking. She lives with her husband, James, and their 12-year-old son, Caldwell, in the College president’s residence. James is a technology entrepreneur and Caldwell enjoys competing in squash tournaments. The family is currently building a second home in Vermont.