LSSU president resigns, search for new president begins
SAULT STE. MARIE— On Monday, April 3, the Lake Superior State University Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of university President Rodney Hanley.
Hanley resigned from the position on Friday, March 31 by sending out a letter of resignation to the campus. In his letter he expressed that he was leaving to explore new opportunities and emphasized how proud he was of the university's many accomplishments in the years he was president.
"I want to acknowledge the statement that Dr. Hanley sent to the university that cited a lot of accomplishments and milestones that we've achieved in the past five years, and acknowledge and appreciate the progress we've made," said Board Trustee Thomas Bailey at the trustees meeting. "I hope that we can keep that spirit alive as we go forward. There are a number of challenges in front of us and we can still make a lot of progress."
Hanley became president of LSSU in July 2018 and his resignation takes effect in June this year.
On Monday, the LSSU Board of Trustees held a special meeting and accepted Hanley's resignation. They also passed a motion to place him on an immediate leave of absence until his resignation takes affect.
"When the board was informed that Dr. Hanley wished to resign from his position as president, the board acted swiftly to work out a smooth transition that will be effective today and begin immediately," said Board Chair Tim Lukenda at the trustees meeting.
The board also passed a motion to begin the national search for a permanent replacement and another to appoint an interim president effective immediately.
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LSSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lynn Gillette is now the acting president of the university, while a search for a permanent replacement takes place.
Gillette has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Richmond and a doctorate in economics from Texas A&M University and is a graduate of Harvard University’s Management Development Program. Gillette also has experience in leadership positions at other universities. He was provost at Nicholls State University from 2015 to 2018 and was provost, executive vice president and president at Sierra Nevada College from 2008 to 2014.
"I'd like to add my thanks to Dr. Hanley on behalf of the board and wish him and his family's success in the future," Lukenda said. "And now we're going to turn to the future."
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Lynn Gillette named interim president of LSSU after Hanley resignation
