‘The Type of Leader We Hope All of Our Students Aspire to Be’
President Chrite; Phyllis Chrite, Elrie Jr., Adriana, Jordan and the extended Chrite family; Dr. Debora Spar; Dr. B. Joseph White; esteemed delegates and members of the Bentley faculty; trustees and trustees emeriti, cabinet members and past presidents; students, staff, alumni and honored guests: Welcome to this momentous occasion.
This is a historic day for Bentley University. For only the ninth time in our 105-year history, Bentley will install a new president for our university and a new leader for our community. With today‘s inauguration, I’m excited and honored to officially welcome E. LaBrent Chrite as Bentley’s new president.
Yesterday and today, students, alumni, trustees, faculty, staff, friends of the university, and delegates from other colleges and universities have come to campus to celebrate and recognize this milestone. It has been a fittingly inclusive moment for this close extended community of ours.
If you are a Falcon — student, alumnus, faculty member, staff — it is wonderful to see you here today. If you are a visiting “Falcon for the day,” thank you very much for coming and celebrating with us. And if you are joining us online today by livestream, thank you for taking the time to tune in. We appreciate having you with us.
It would be difficult to find someone who more closely represents Bentley’s commitment to business as a force for good than Brent Chrite. President Chrite personifies our strong belief in the power of business to create solutions to human problems. For much of his career, he has dedicated himself to improving business education, developing market-based economies and expanding economic opportunities for organizations and people around the world. President Chrite is a shining example of the type of leader we hope all of our students aspire to be — using knowledge, wisdom, compassion and a strong business mindset to change the world.
I am glad to see so many of you here today so you can recognize firsthand, as I have been able to do, that President Chrite is the right leader for Bentley. The world is changing quickly and so is higher education. With his bold vision, fresh perspective and strong background combining higher education and the private sector, I know that our university is poised for success today, tomorrow and for years to come. As an alumnus and parent of two fellow Falcons, I could not be more excited about President Chrite’s leadership of our community.
Since he first joined our community nearly a year ago, we have waited in anticipation for this special moment. I think it tells you everything you need to know that instead of celebrating this inauguration last fall, President Chrite asked that it be pushed back so we could focus on our students and the university’s operations and getting Bentley fully “back to business.” That says a lot about Brent Chrite.
And now the day is here. As we gather to officially install Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite as Bentley’s ninth president today, know that the board of trustees has every confidence that he possesses exactly the right combination of background, strengths and skills to move this university forward to even greater distinction and prominence.
Thank you for being here today to share our pride in Bentley and our confidence in the future of this great university.