Northland Community & Technical College names two finalists for interim president

Mar. 28—EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. — Two finalists have been named for the role of interim president of Northland Community and Technical College.

The two candidates are Anthony Kinkel and Shari Olson. Both will be visiting the college's campuses next week, on April 3 and April 4. These visits, according to a release from NCTC, will "provide an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and members of the community to meet each of the candidates and offer feedback."

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees is expected to consider a recommendation from Chancellor Scott Olson at its April 17 meeting. From there, the expected start date for the interim president is July 1.

According to the release sent to the media Thursday, Kinkel has experience working in different facets of education across the country, such as being the vice president of development at Mount Dora Christian Academy & Children's Home in Florida since 2021, the executive director of the Minnesota State Board for School Administrators from 2017 to 2022 and the executive director and CEO of Maryland Association of Community Colleges from 2022 to 2004.

He has experience as a college president and has worked in politics, serving in the Minnesota state Senate from 1999 to 2002 and the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1986 to 1998. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota, the release said.

According to the release, Olson has experience working in colleges, such as her role as president of South Mountain Community College in Arizona from 2011 to 2022. She was interim president at Anoka Technical College in Minnesota from 2010 to 2011. At Northland Community & Technical College, she worked from 1995 to 2007 through multiple positions: vice president of outreach and planning, vice president of planning and administrative services and voice president of outreach and technology. She has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from NDSU and a doctorate from UND.

More information about the candidates and their campus visits is available on Northland's website.

The position

is open due to the resignation of Sandy Kiddoo

, who last year announced plans to leave the college. Kiddoo, who took over the post in June 2021, will not renew her contract past its expiration date of June 30, 2024, she told the Herald on Tuesday, Oct. 31.