Eric M. Turner was elected the 10th president of Lasell University earlier this month and will assume the office on July 1. He transitions into this role following a successful career in business, in the areas of finance, sales, marketing, consulting, and most recently, higher education. As president, Eric will oversee Lasell University’s unique multigenerational campus, including the Holway Early Childhood Centers and Lasell Village, an award-winning continuing care retirement community with a learning mandate that attracts a diverse population of residents.
Eric currently serves as the University’s provost, a position he has held since 2020. As Lasell’s chief academic officer, he oversees the planning, development, administration, promotion, and evaluation of all curricular and co-curricular programs, and leads efforts to promote excellence in teaching and learning. During his tenure at Lasell he has guided and overseen the launch of nearly 30 new academic programs and led the expansion of the University’s professional partnerships.
With more than 25 years of institutional leadership experience at Lasell, Eric’s ties to the University run deep. He first joined Lasell’s senior management team in 2017 as vice president of graduate and professional studies, and previously served as an overseer and trustee at both the University and at Lasell Village, and later as chair of the University’s board of trustees.
Earlier in his career, Eric served as a strategic advisor to chief executive officers of businesses and nonprofit institutions, working to improve personnel and organizational performance. He also served as a senior vice president at State Street Corporation, directing two different departments in the company’s financial services unit. Eric gained significant public sector experience as executive director of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission and as a deputy treasurer, both under Treasurer Joseph Malone. Prior to his association with the Commonwealth, Eric worked as an investment banker with the Wall Street firm Drexel Burnham Lambert and held marketing and finance positions at IBM. An active and engaged volunteer, he currently serves as an overseer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and on the board of MassINC (the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth). Eric holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA, both from Harvard University.
Eric resides in Newton, Massachusetts, with his wife, Wanda Whitmore, and their family.
