Photo I Courtesy of Mount Wachusett Community College
Beckett Caisse, student representative on MWCC's board of trustees
7 hours ago
Heywood CEO named to MWCC board of trustees
Photo I Courtesy of Heywood Healthcare
Rozanna Penney, president and CEO of Heywood Healthcare
Mount Wachusett Community College has named a Central Massachusetts healthcare leader as well as one of the Gardner school’s students as the newest members to its board of trustees.
The college selected Rozanna Penney, president and CEO of Gardner-based Heywood Healthcare, and MWCC student Beckett Caisse to join its board composed of alumni, community business leaders, and an elected student representative, according to Tuesday press release from MWCC..
“We are thrilled to welcome Rozanna Penney and Beckett Caisse to our Board of Trustees,” MWCC President James Vander Hooven said in the release. “Rozanna’s depth of experience in healthcare and community leadership, combined with Beckett’s perspective as an engaged and thoughtful student, will enrich the board’s ability to guide the college forward in meaningful and inclusive ways.”
Penney has stood at the helm of Heywood Healthcare, the operator of facilities in Gardner and Athol, since the summer of 2023 after its previous CEO was abruptly ousted and the system was taking a financial nosedive. Under Penney’s leadership, Heywood Healthcare filed for bankruptcy in October of that same year with $31.3 million owed to its top 20 creditors.
In September, the healthcare system announced its stand-alone exit from bankruptcy.
Penney was named one of WBJ’s Power 100 in 2024 and 2025.
“I am honored to join the MWCC Board,” she said in the release. “Mount Wachusett Community College plays a vital role in shaping the future of our region, and I look forward to working alongside my fellow trustees to support students, faculty, and staff in achieving their goals.”
Caisse will serve as the board’s student trustee this year, representing MWCC’s student voice and contributing to decisions including those related to budget and personnel.
“It’s an honor to represent my peers on the Board of Trustees,” Caisse said in the release. “I’m excited to contribute to conversations and decisions that impact student success and the overall direction of the college.”
MWCC’s new trustee announcements come after the school experienced the largest single-year enrollment increase of any Central Massachusetts state university or community college in the past 10 years last fall.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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