Northland Community & Technical College seeks a one-year interim president who is an experienced, innovative leader with an entrepreneurial spirit and vision to help fulfill the college’s mission of serving its communities and supporting the economy of Northwest Minnesota and beyond.
Meet the Finalist
Minnesota State has named two finalists in the search for the interim president of Northland Community & Technical College. The finalists are Anthony Kinkel and Shari Olson.
The candidates are scheduled to conduct campus visits on Wednesday, April 3, and Thursday, April 4. The campus visits provide an opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to meet each of the candidates and offer feedback.
Anthony Kinkel
Anthony Kinkel has served the Mount Dora Christian Academy & Children’s Home (FL) as the vice president of development since 2021. Previously, he served the Minnesota State Board for School Administrators as Executive Director from 2017 to 2022, Motlow State Community College (TN) as president from 2015 to 2017, Wichita State University-Tech (KS) as president from 2010 to 2015, Pikes Peak Community College (CO) as president from 2007 to 2010, the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville as chancellor from 2004 to 2007, the Maryland Association of Community Colleges as executive director and CEO from 2002 to 2004, and Northwest Technical College (MN) as dean of general education from 2000 to 2002. He also served in the Minnesota State Senate from 1999 to 2002 and the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1986 to 1998. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
Wednesday, April 3 – Thief River Falls Campus
- 8:00 a.m. – Community Session (Room 551)
- 10:00 a.m. – Student Open Forum (Room 551)
- 11:00 a.m. – Employee Open Forum (Room 551)
Wednesday, April 3 – East Grand Forks Campus
- 1:30 p.m. – Employee Open Forum (Room 236)
- 2:30 p.m. – Student Open Forum (Room 236)
- 3:30 p.m. – Community Session (Room 236)
Sessions are 45 minutes.
Provide Feedback
Submit your feedback through an online form. The survey will be open from April 2 at 8:00 a.m. to April 7 at 11:59 p.m. All feedback will be kept anonymous and confidential.
Shari Olson
Shari Olson served the South Mountain Community College (AZ) as president from 2011 until her retirement in 2022. Previously, she served Anoka Technical College (MN) as interim president from 2010 to 2011, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (now Minnesota State) as system director of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from 2009 to 2010, Eastern Wyoming College as president from 2007 to 2008, and Northland Community & Technical College from 1995 to 2007 in several capacities, most recently as vice president of planning and administrative services from 2006 to 2007, vice president of outreach and planning from 2005 to 2006, and vice president of outreach and technology from 2004 to 2005. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s from North Dakota State University, and a doctorate from the University of North Dakota.
Thursday, April 4 – Thief River Falls Campus
- 8:00 a.m. – Community Session (Room 203)
- 10:00 a.m. – Student Open Forum (Room 203)
- 11:00 a.m. – Employee Open Forum (Room 203)
Thursday, April 4 – East Grand Forks Campus
- 1:30 p.m. – Employee Open Forum (Room 236)
- 2:30 p.m. – Student Open Forum (Room 236)
- 3:30 p.m. – Community Session (Room 236)
Sessions are 45 minutes.
Provide Feedback
Submit your feedback through an online form. The survey will be open from April 2 at 8:00 a.m. to April 7 at 11:59 p.m. All feedback will be kept anonymous and confidential.
Estimated Search Timeline
- January 2024 – Development of the Interim Presidential Profile
- February 15, 2024 – Priority deadline for candidate materials
- March 28, 2024 – Public announcement listing the finalist or finalists
- April 3-4, 2024 – Campus open forums and system office interviews begin
- April 17, 2024 – Board of Trustees meeting, candidate selected
- July 1, 2024 – The chosen individual officially starts as Interim College President
Chancellor Scott Olson is scheduled to make a recommendation to the Minnesota State Board of Trustees on April 17, 2024. The full board schedule is available online, and the live-stream sessions will be available. The interim president will be appointed for one year (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025).
About Northland Community & Technical College
Northland Community & Technical College is a comprehensive two-year college located in northwestern Minnesota. The college has two campuses in East Grand Forks and Thief River Falls, MN. Additionally, the college has three other sites in Roseau, Warroad, and the Aerospace Site at the Thief River Falls Airport. Northland offers a wide range of educational opportunities in eleven fields of study, including Aerospace, Agriculture, Automotive and Transportation, Building Trades, Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing & Health Sciences, Information Technology, Law and Public Safety, and Manufacturing. Northland offers certificates, diplomas, transfer courses, and two-year degrees (A.A.S., A.S., A.A.) in over 80 academic programs and workforce training options. Northland is a member of Minnesota State, which is the third-largest system of two-year colleges and four-year universities in the United States. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
Northland outranked over six hundred US community colleges in a 2023 report issued by finance website WalletHub. Northland ranked 31st on the list of 668 schools, while the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system ranked fifth overall. Known as a great community partner and neighbor, Northland generates $127 million in annual economic impact.
Northland’s mission is to transform the lives of students and our communities through a welcoming, supportive, and integrated learning environment. For more information, visit northlandcollege.edu.
About Minnesota State
Minnesota State includes 26 community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving approximately 300,000 students. It is the third-largest system of two-year colleges and four-year universities in the United States.