Meet Dr. Craig Johnson

Ridgewater College has a new President, Dr. .Craig Johnson. He will address Minn-Kota's Fall Conference on things to consider when entering a new position of leadership. Johnson brings 30 years of experience in higher education spanning administrative, academic staff, and faculty positions. He has served since 2014 the as the executive director of the University Center-South Dakota Public Universities & Research Center, where he led a strategic planning project that expanded the Center’s mission to include a community college focus, helped develop new program articulations and joint marketing efforts, and increased community engagement. Previously, he served as director of the branch campus of Winona State University in Rochester from 2007 to 2014 where he played a lead role in joint efforts to create a new Welcome Center to assist incoming and transfer students and a STEM Village capital project. He also served as the administrator of the West Bend campus of Moraine Park Technical College (WI) from 2000 to 2007, and as the academic resources coordinator/visual resources curator for the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (now College of Design) for the University of Minnesota. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, a master’s from Tulane University, and a master’s and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota.

Devinder Malhotra, chancellor of Minnesota State says, “Dr. Johnson possesses both the professional experiences and personal qualities that will make him a truly outstanding leader for Ridgewater College, notably his open and transparent leadership of multi-campus institutions in rural, agricultural settings in three states. He will work closely with students, faculty, and staff to serve the Ridgewater mission and to find new ways to connect the college with potential students and with the Willmar and Hutchinson communities.”

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