Heritage University names new president

By Erin Snelgrove, Yakima Herald-Republic

TOPPENISH -- Because of his commitment to providing an education to underserved populations, John Bassett was named as Heritage University's new president this week.

"John was the person who you knew there was no risk," said Paul Moulton, chairman of the board and search committee. "He was going to pick up where Dr. (Kathleen) Ross was and just keep charging forward from there without missing a beat."

Bassett, 67, is the president of Clark University in Worcester, Mass., a private school that serves a combined undergraduate and graduate student body of 3,000. Heritage's total enrollment is about 1,400 students.

In addition to the main campus in Toppenish, Heritage has sites in the Tri-Cities, Moses Lake, Wenatchee, south Seattle and Yakima.

He is replacing founding president Sister Kathleen Ross, who is beginning a national institution to help students similar to those at Heritage earn degrees. The exact date for the start of her new job has not been set.

Bassett will assume his new post next summer. His salary is not being released because Heritage is a private university and does not receive public funds. The search for a new president began after Ross announced her career move in March.

"What really attracted me to Heritage were the students," Bassett said. "Higher education is not a part of their world. To see them graduate and go on to have careers, it makes you want to be a part of it."

Bassett has served as president of Clark University since 2000. Under his leadership, the univer-sity received wide acclaim for its innovative University Park Campus School -- a small urban public school of seventh- to 12th-graders.

"I think Heritage has made a fabulous hire. This will be a great fit," said David Angel, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Clark. "He's moved Clark University forward in terms of its academic reputation and the relationship it has with the community and the city."

Angel has worked with Bassett for seven years and said Bassett is committed to student success.

During his tenure at Clark, he's also helped increase the school's endowment from $152 million to $240 million, a gain of 58 percent. Annual endowment income during that time has also grown 124 percent -- from $5.8 million to $13 million.

"He's been terrific to attract new faculty and administrative leadership to the university," Angel said. "He is a talented leader."

This personable attitude is what impressed Laura Aguiar, a Heritage sophomore who served on the search committee. She said she was most concerned about finding a president who could interact with students, and Bassett succeeded on that front.

"He integrated himself with the student body right off the bat," she said about his visits. "I'm very excited to see what plans he has in store for Heritage."

Although he needs to meet with students and staff before setting goals for Heritage, Bassett said he and his wife Kay are happy to make the Yakima Valley their home. In Worcester, Kay has served as chairwoman for the Red Cross board and is active in the YMCA and other boards.

The couple have two grown children, and they're lovers of theater, art and music, Bassett said.

"We think the Northwest is a wonderful place. It is an adventure," he said.

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Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

Heritage University names new president

By Erin Snelgrove, Yakima Herald-Republic