James P. Lombella Selected as President of Asnuntuck Community College

President Gregory Gray of the Board of Regents for Higher Education announced today that James P. Lombella has been selected to be the next President of Asnuntuck Community College. The selection was made after consideration of over 90 candidates who applied for the position. Mr. Lombella will assume the presidency following his nearly five-year tenure in multiple senior leadership roles at Asnuntuck Community College.

James Lombella

"I am very pleased that Mr. Lombella emerged as the successful candidate for President of Asnuntuck Community College. His selection enables him to continue the fine work he has been doing as Interim President since June of 2013, and provides continuity of vision and effort for the college,” said President Gray. “Jim brings exceptionally broad experience to his new position, with previous positions in the business and educational environments.  He made a strong impression on the search committee and the Board of Regents with his vision for fostering student success at the college and in the workforce.  I am confident of Jim’s ability to drive innovation and growth on campus and in the community.”

During his interviews, Mr. Lombella emphasized his dedication to partnering with the campus community to engender a passion for growth and success. At the same time, Mr. Lombella made it very clear he is fully committed to a path that transforms the lives of Asnuntuck’s students by providing them with the learning and leadership skills necessary to succeed.

“I am excited to partner with faculty, staff, students and the community to advance the overall mission, and lead Asnuntuck Community College into a future of growth and success,” Mr. Lombella said. “I am committed to working with a team of dedicated professionals to meet the needs of our students, to serve our community, and contribute to the needs of our regional workforce. I appreciate and thank President Gray and the Board of Regents for this incredible opportunity.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the selection of Mr. Lombella as President of Asnuntuck Community College,” said Nicholas Donofrio, Chairman of the Board of Regents. “Jim has shown over the past five years that he is committed to the students, the institution and the community at large. Just as importantly, he has demonstrated he has the requisite leadership and vision to spur enrollment growth.  The fact that he also has private sector, real-world executive experience, makes him an ideal choice for Asnuntuck’s next President.”

A graduate of Holyoke Community College (A.S.), Mr. Lombella earned his Master of Management degree from Cambridge College, Cambridge, MA, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education at the Abraham S. Fischler School of Education at Nova Southeastern University. 

Mr. Lombella began his career as the founder of a retail and service company and, following a successful start-up, was appointed to the position of Quality Control and Internal ISO 9000 Lead Auditor at Jen Coat, Inc.  Following Jen Coat, he spent time in two successive companies (Plastipak Packaging Company and the Campbell Soup division of Pepperidge Farm) as an Operations Manager in each company.  In 2013 he was appointed Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Asnuntuck Community College, where he also served in a dual role as Dean of Administration/Chief Financial Officer. Since 2009, Mr. Lombella has served in various roles including Director, then Associate Dean of Workforce Development and Continuing Education, Chief Financial Officer, and as an adjunct faculty member in Asnuntuck’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center.