Vice President Kassandra Jolley wins a CASE award

Kassandra Jolley, vice president for college relations at Mount Holyoke College, is the recipient of an Individual Achievement Award in the Distinguished Service category from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District I. The award recognizes advancement professionals with significant, long-term contributions to institutional advancement, honoring their leadership, innovation and commitment to sharing knowledge. She accepted her award on Feb. 18, 2026, at the CASE District I & II Annual Conference in Boston.

This career milestone for Jolley recognizes her 35 years of service in the advancement profession and showcases how she embodies Mount Holyoke’s mission to be an engine of leadership and to prepare women not only to participate in the world but also to reshape it.

“At Mount Holyoke, expanding [opportunities] for women and all who face gender-based barriers is not abstract — it is our mission and our mandate. While women comprise more than 70% of the fundraising workforce, they hold fewer than 35% of the most senior advancement roles at our top universities. This is not a pipeline problem; it is a leadership equity problem,” she said. “For nearly two centuries, Mount Holyoke has been a catalyst for those whose talent has been underestimated or overlooked. My work in advancement reflects that same charge: to align our profession with our values, to sponsor boldly and to open doors — and hold them open — so that those doing the work are also shaping its future.”

Under Jolley’s leadership, Mount Holyoke’s fundraising efforts have been more successful than ever before. Under her leadership, the past five years of fundraising have been the most successful in Mount Holyoke College history. But Jolley believes that deep community connections are just as important as breaking fundraising records. As a result of her community-building efforts, Mount Holyoke has maintained an extraordinary 79% donor retention rate, reflecting a culture of philanthropy rooted in trust, transparency and collective ambition.

Her fierce commitment to mentorship and sponsorship has not only been central to her success but also to the success of her team members over the years. At least five of her colleagues from organizations she has led have gone on to serve as vice presidents in higher education.

Jolley’s career includes leadership roles at several distinguished women’s institutions, such as Spelman College and Simmons University. She has dedicated her life to institutions that prioritize those often sidelined by traditional power structures. At Mount Holyoke, she is both inspired by and aligned with the College’s role in breaking barriers for women and transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people and in creating change for all.

That philosophy aligns seamlessly with Mount Holyoke’s institutional identity: forged in dissent, committed to educational equity and unapologetic about cultivating ambitious leaders prepared to reshape the world.

“In times of great distress, I remind myself that global is local,” Jolley said. “I cannot fix everything. But I can influence what is directly in front of me.”

At Mount Holyoke, what is directly in front of her is clear: building the philanthropic strength needed to sustain academic excellence, expand access and ensure that Mount Holyoke, an institution dedicated to women’s leadership, thrives in a complex world.

This award honors her distinguished career and underscores something larger: Mount Holyoke’s mission, momentum and advancement model resonate nationally at a time when leadership rooted in equity and purpose matters most.