Dear members of the Bates community,

I write to share the news that Tori Neason Wallace will join the Bates community as vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid, effective July 1, 2026.  

Tori comes to Bates after serving in the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid at Colby since 2020. There she held a number of roles with responsibility for everything from student and family communications to application review to campus visit and admitted student programs to strategic planning. Most recently, Tori was executive director of strategic initiatives for the office, leading the development and execution of a range of projects designed to support Colby’s admission goals. Prior to that role, she was deputy dean of admission at Colby, and spent six years in admission at Washington University in St. Louis.

This Bates News story shares more about Tori’s appointment.

With both breadth and depth of experience, Tori will bring an invaluably informed and well-rounded perspective to the leadership of Bates’ enrollment work. She understands the specific complexities and particulars of that work—as well as how it relates to the mission of the college writ large. I look forward to welcoming her to Bates, to the admission and student financial services team, and to the senior leadership team.

I am grateful to the members of the search committee, chaired by Kristen Lainsbury and Robert Strong, for their thoughtful and thorough efforts in finding a new leader to serve our community. The committee received valuable assistance from WittKieffer, a top executive search firm.

I would also like to thank Mark Hatch ՚87 for serving as executive enrollment manager over the past year, along with the entire admission and student financial services teams, who put so much time, effort, and dedication into their essential work for Bates—this year and every year.

All my best,

   Garry