Northeast Wisconsin Technical College names new president, first female to lead college in its 111-year history.
GREEN BAY ― Kristen Raney is Northeast Wisconsin Technical College's next president, making her the first female to lead the college in its 111-year history.
Raney will start July 1, taking over for current president Jeffrey Rafn, who served the college for 26 years and is retiring.
“I am humbled to be selected as the next president of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College,” Raney said in a media release. “I am passionate about higher education because it changes lives and strengthens our communities. NWTC’s focus on serving its students and preparing a strong workforce is truly impressive. I am deeply honored to be selected as its next leader and to carry on our shared mission for student success.”
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Raney beat out Shah Ardalan, the president of Lone Star College-University Park in Texas, and Kathryn Rogalski, who is the vice president of learning and chief academic officer at NWTC.
Raney currently is the vice chancellor for academic affairs at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, where she leads the academic division and institutional accreditation for the multi-college district. She previously was the dean of students, interim vice president of student affairs and the vice president of academic affairs at Saint Paul College in Minnesota.
Raney began her career at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, where she spent 12 years working as a faculty member and the dean of academic development and services.
She has completed the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship from the Aspen Institute and has a doctorate in higher education and leadership studies from Edgewood College, a master's degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and a bachelor's degree in English from St. Cloud State University.
Raney's selection was the result of a search process that began in the fall of 2022 and was led by 19-member search committee with the support of the executive search firm, Academic Search. The search committee is represented by community members, industry partners, and the college's Board of Trustees.
"The quality and quantity of candidates spoke volumes to NWTC’s reputation in prioritizing student success and creating a culture of excellence,” said Cathy Dworak, the chair of NWTC’s Board of Trustees, in a media release. “It was not just Dr. Raney's background that led to the selection by the board, but also her values that aligned with our college’s mission and needs of higher education today. We are excited in starting this next chapter in NWTC’s promising future.”
To learn more about Raney and NWTC’s presidential search process, visit nwtc.edu/presidential-search.
Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: NWTC's new president is the first female to lead the college
