St. Kate’s provost named president of Illinois private college

St. Catherine College’s second-in-command is leaving on the finish of the varsity 12 months to turn out to be a school president in Illinois.

Anita Thomas, 55, would be the first girl and first individual of coloration to guide North Central Faculty in Naperville, Illinois, which has round 3,000 college students and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Thomas, who grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and spent a few years within the Chicago space, is a medical psychologist who was founding dean of the utilized behavioral science faculty on the College of Indianapolis earlier than she got here to St. Paul in 2019.

As govt vice chairman and provost, she created and carried out the primary educational grasp plan at St. Kate’s.

In her introductory speech at North Central on Tuesday, Thomas mentioned she’s taking the job at a time of societal “chaos,” citing the coronavirus pandemic, racial and civil unrest, financial insecurity and local weather change. She mentioned she’s excited to assist handle these challenges.

“It’s actually clear that instructional establishments have a task in making ready people to be good residents, to assist to unravel the grand challenges, to essentially take into consideration the world and their position in it,” she mentioned.

Holly Humphrey, chair of the North Central Board of Trustees, known as Thomas “an inspiring, mission-driven chief, researcher, educator and psychologist. She is a champion of liberal arts schooling … inspiring curiosity and civic engagement amongst college students.”

Thomas would be the eleventh president within the 162-year historical past of North Central.