Michael Raich Named President of the Northeast Higher Education District
ST. PAUL,
Minn., April 21, 2021
– The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has
named Michael Raich to serve as the next president of the Northeast Higher
Education District (NHED). The new appointment becomes effective immediately.
“Dr. Raich
has consistently demonstrated that he is a strategic leader,” said Devinder
Malhotra, chancellor of Minnesota State. “He understands that in order to move
forward, it is important to work in a collaborative, transparent, and authentic
manner, and build on a shared vision – a vision that will ensure the success of
all students and the region. With Dr. Raich at the helm, the Northeast Higher
Education District is well on its way to charting this collective, shared
future.”
Raich has
served as the interim president of NHED since 2019, providing strategic vision
for the NHED colleges, advancing their mission and core values, and growing his
deep connections throughout the Iron Range community.
Throughout
the COVID pandemic, Raich led a consistent and safety-first response to the
crisis, working with campus teams to successfully carry out their action plans:
the NHED colleges have seen minimal campus virus spread while campus services
and select in-person classes have continued. This has allowed students to
continue their progress towards their educational goals.
As interim
president, Raich has also been leading the process to merge the five
independently accredited NHED colleges into one accredited college. Through a
process called Vision NE, he has engaged NHED constituents and stakeholders
including students, employees, bargaining units, legislators, and members of
the community, as well as the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities and the Higher Learning Commission. This process is on track with
the goal of operating under the new model starting in Fall 2022.
Prior to
being named interim president of NHED, Raich served Hibbing Community College
as provost and as dean of Academic Affairs and Student Services, and he served
Itasca Community College as interim provost. His accomplishments in higher
education include collaborating with faculty and industry to develop and
implement innovative academic programs in high demand sectors, implementing
best practices for student success, and solidifying partnerships with area high
schools. As a former high school teacher, athletic director, and principal,
Raich is well connected to the K-12 environment. Raich serves on multiple
regional boards that support K-12, business/industry, and non-profit partners.
Raich holds a
bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth, a master’s from St.
Cloud State University, and a doctorate from the University of North Dakota.
Raich
succeeds Bill Maki, who served as the president of NHED from 2015 until 2019 and
now serves as the Minnesota State vice chancellor for finance and facilities.
With approval
by the Board of Trustees, the chancellor is authorized to negotiate a
three-year contract with Dr. Raich that will become effective July 1, 2021.
About the
Northeast Higher Education District
NHED consists
of five autonomous yet interdependent colleges in northeast Minnesota: Hibbing
Community College, Itasca Community College, Mesabi Range College, Rainy River
Community College, and Vermilion Community College. The district has a total of
six campuses in Ely, Eveleth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, International Falls, and
Virginia. The colleges are deeply integrated in the communities they serve and
play a vital role in the educational, cultural and economic well-being of the
region. A rich mix of programming, including specialty programs in
environmental and natural resources fields, appeal to students nationally and
internationally. The district has a total annual enrollment of approximately
5,600.
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Minnesota
State includes 30 community and technical colleges and seven state universities
serving approximately 340,000 students. It is the third-largest system of
two-year colleges and four-year universities in the United States.
Northeast Higher Education District Presidential Finalist Open Forums - SAVE THE DATE
March 15-17, 2021
Community Members: You are invited to join the Zoom open forum sessions where you will have a chance to ask questions and/or get to know the finalists.
(Schedules and zoom links for individual constituency group meetings (e.g. students, faculty, staff, administrators, and faculty leadership) were sent directly to constituents.)
You may contact Carmen Bradach at c.bradach@mesabirange.edu if you have any questions.
Please direct inquiries and nominations to the executive search consultants:
Search consultant:
Joanne Bashford, Ed.D.
Senior Consultant
RH Perry & Associates
305-467-9488
NHEDPresident@rhperry.com
www.rhperry.com
Paul G. Doeg
President & Chief Operating Officer
RH Perry & Associates
(406) 220-2129
NHEDPresident@rhperry.com
www.rhperry.com
NHED Human Resources:
Carmen Bradach
Mesabi Range College - Virginia Campus
Office: (218) 749-7743
Cell: (218) 290-1140
c.bradach@mesabirange.edu