by April Scheinoha
Editor
Dr. Shari Olson has been named president of Northland Community and Technical College. Olson has served as interim president of the college, based in Thief River Falls and East Grand Forks, since July 2024 and previously worked at Northland in various capacities.
The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities unanimously approved Olson’s appointment at a meeting Wednesday, April 16. Her appointment is effective immediately pending successful completion of an employment agreement.
“For me, stepping into this role is like coming home,” Olson told the trustees. She grew up on a farm 10 miles northeast of the college’s East Grand Forks campus.
Other finalists were John Fields, vice president of academic and student affairs for Northland; Richard Gale, director of the Applied Research Center at Camosun College in British Columbia; and Tami Such, dean of the School of Health Sciences for Valencia College in Florida. All hold doctorates with Fields holding a juris doctorate.
“Dr. Olson has tremendous understanding of the region and of what makes Thief River Falls and East Grand Forks amazing and distinctive from each other,” said Scott Olson, Minnesota State chancellor, in a press release. “During her year as interim president, Dr. Olson has shown a real commitment towards shared governance and towards serving the communities of northwest Minnesota. It’s clear that she is the right choice to continue to lead Northland.”
ACCT Searches conducted a national search for the position. During a committee hearing Wednesday morning prior to the trustees’ meeting, Scott Olson said there were 29 applicants with four finalists ultimately chosen to visit the Northland campuses and participate in public forums. Feedback from those forums noted that Dr. Olson was a great fit for the college, a strong communicator and collaborator, an innovative thinker and someone who is passionate and results-focused. Chancellor Olson noted that Dr. Olson, working with her team, saw a 9% increase in enrollment at the college while she served as interim president.
Talking to the trustees at their meeting later that morning, Dr. Olson said, “I am committed to upholding the values and mission of Northland.”
Dr. Olson went on to refer to Northland students as the heart and soul of the college “Your success is our north star,” said Olson, who noted the college will continue to prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow.
Prior to serving as interim president at Northland, Olson served as president in the Maricopa County Community College District of South Mountain Community College in Arizona for 11 years until her retirement in 2022. According to a press release, under her leadership, the college’s Higher Learning Commission accreditation was reaffirmed for 10 years. It also secured a Department of Education Title V grant of nearly $3 million, received HLC approval to offer a Bachelor of Science program in behavioral science, and opened the SMCC Science Complex after a $19 million remodeling project. During Olson’s tenure there, Aspen Institute recognized the college as one of the country’s Top 150 Community Colleges four times from 2015 to 2021.
Other previous work experience included serving as interim president of Anoka Technical College in Minnesota from 2010 to 2011. The press release noted that, while there, she facilitated the creation of the college’s master technology plan and redesigned the organizational structure to maximize employee talent and create efficiencies. In 2011, she was recognized as President of the Year by the Minnesota State College Student Association (now known as LeadMN).
For a year prior to her time at Anoka, Olson worked as the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (now Minnesota State) system director of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. She also served as president of Eastern Wyoming College from 2007 to 2008.
Prior to her time in Wyoming, Olson worked at Northland from 1995 to 2007 in various vice presidential roles. At Northland, according to the press release, she secured a $7.8 million capital bonding project for nursing, spearheaded the revitalization of classroom space for a new degree program in Automated Systems Technology, facilitated the creation of DigiKey University (a corporate college), and collaboratively developed several new programs as well as several credit-based manufacturing certificates for working adults.
Olson has received three national awards, including he Paul A. Elsner International Excellence in Leadership Award by the Chair Academy (2021), the Shirley B. Gordon Leadership Award of Distinction by the International Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (2019), and the Entrepreneurial President of the Year Award by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (2014).
Olson served as board chairperson of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship from 2020 to 2022.
Olson holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from North Dakota State University, and a doctorate from the University of North Dakota.