“It's been a real pleasure to be here,” said Laura Douglas, president of Bristol Community College. After a dedicated seven and a half years of service, she’s retiring in January.  

Born in western Massachusetts, Douglas’ parents “were both at UMass Amherst, so that’s where I spent my early years,” she said. She attended the University of Southern Maine before returning to her home state, where she worked in Cambridge. Douglas obtained her master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Michigan. Now, she notes the novelty of her studies: community college leadership, coupled with a degree in social work, which has informed her work as the college's lead administrator. 

She started as a teacher — in Japan, she added, where she taught English as a second language and American culture.