FORMER WESTFIELD STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL STAR NAMED TRUSTEE

By Craig Phelon

George B. Gilmer, the newest Westfield State College trustee, was a standout men's basketball player for the Owls in the late 1980s.

George B. Gilmer of Easton, senior vice president and chief administrative officer for the Asset Servicing Sector at the Bank of New York Mellon, is the newest member of the Westfield State College Board of Trustees. Appointed to the board by Gov. Deval L. Patrick, Gilmer is not only a Westfield State graduate, but was also active in college athletics as a star player for the Owls' men's basketball team.

Gilmer graduated from Westfield State in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting. He went on to earn a master's degree in business administration at the University of Rhode Island.

In his current position, Gilmer oversees strategic planning, incentive compensation, human resources, risk management and compliance, training, billing and legal for a $4 billion organization with 12,000 employees globally. The work involves extensive travel throughout the United States and globally to such locations as Singapore, Taiwan, India, Belgium, England, Ireland and Scotland.

"The college is not only pleased to welcome back an outstanding former student for the Board of Trustees, but we also look forward to benefiting from George Gilmer's guidance in business and finance," said Westfield State President Evan S. Dobelle.

After graduating from Westfield State, Gilmer's career took him to McDonald's Corporation - not selling hamburgers, but as a staff accountant. "McDonald's is a huge international real estate company that also happens to be in the business of selling hamburgers," Gilmer said. "The training and development I received at McDonald's was second to none."

He moved up the ladder in accounting and corporate finance to become regional accounting manager. He moved on to become director of credit systems for Providence Energy Corporation, then global chief financial officer for JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Gilmer also has family ties to Westfield State. He met his wife, the former Dominique Polk, at the college. She also graduated in 1989. With a dual major in elementary education and special education, she became a teacher in the Boston public schools for the past 18 years. She is currently a leader in teacher training. The Gilmers have two children, Aaron, 12, and Alana, 10.

In addition, Gilmer's brother, Victor, is in the Westfield State Athletics Hall of Fame. Victor, who also graduated in 1989 with a business management degree, was a two-time All American in track and field and a six-time New England champion. He still holds school records in both the 55 and 110 hurdles. He lives in Dorchester with his family.

George Gilmer was a standout athlete in his own right, playing two years with the Owls basketball team before leaving the court to pursue internships that would prepare him for the business world. He averaged 17.1 points per game during his junior year and led the team with a 7.7 rebound average per game. He also was named to the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) all-conference team.

"He was 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed 183 pounds. The coach said he was the most athletic player on the team," said Michael F. Curtis, director of sports information. "He scored 273 points his junior year and 290 points as a sophomore for 563 career points."

"It was a fantastic experience for me," Gilmer said of his time on the basketball team. "It gave me the opportunity to make many friends and learn the value of teamwork - of everyone knowing and playing their role."

Gilmer said one of his closest friends at the college was Russell A. Thompson (Class of '87), another Hall of Fame athlete and the college's first and only basketball All-American. Thompson went on to a successful law career in the New York City area.

"It was a little unusual for me as a basketball player to pick a degree concentration like accounting," Gilmer said. "There weren't too many jocks doing that. Russell pushed me to focus on what my life would be like after basketball. He was a great mentor back then and he still is to this day"

Gilmer not only has succeeded in his career, but also made it a point to help others in various ways. He is an active member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA); The Partnership, an organization designed to retain people of color in the Boston schools; and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA). Gilmer serves a mentor for others in the profession, as well.

Gilmer also coaches youth basketball in an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program called Mass Destruction. "I have been fortunate to land in a town that houses great people like Brent Williams, the creator of Mass Destruction, the team my son played on won a national championship in 2007," he said. "We're getting ready to create a girls' team, as well."

"I feel I've been very lucky," Gilmer said. "To me, luck isn't like throwing a dart at a dartboard, but it is really the intersection of preparation and opportunity. From a preparation standpoint, the college really put me in the right position and I've been pretty driven since I've left school."

Gilmer added that both the education and mentoring he received at Westfield State propelled him toward a successful career. "People like Carlton Pickron (dean of academic retention) were valuable mentors to me and just kept me focused on the game of life."

"I'm so proud of George and the many student lives I've been blessed to touch," Pickron said, adding that he enjoyed working with both George and Victor as students.

"A lot of people helped create an opportunity for me," Gilmer said. "They also encouraged me to do my own part - creating my own luck by being prepared."

"The opportunity to give back to the college is really an honor," Gilmer said. "What I went through at the college not only positioned me for a career, but allowed me to walk away with a spouse, as well. With 17 years in corporate finance, I believe I can bring some valuable experience to the finance subcommittee, as well as the overall board."