North Central College named Donna Carroll as its interim president effective Aug. 1, and she will guide the institution until a permanent president is appointed before the 2023-2024 academic year, officials announced in a news release.
Her appointment is part of the transition plan from the college’s board of trustees implemented when Troy Hammond announced his resignation after leading the college for nearly 10 years.
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“Dr. Carroll is a visionary leader and an experienced administrator who is uniquely qualified to serve as our interim president. We are grateful that of all the places she could have shared her talents, she chose North Central College,” board Chairman Jim McDermet said in the news release.
“Her past experiences parallel many of the changes we’ve implemented at North Central. We’re confident she will ensure we have a successful academic year for our students and seamlessly continue implementing our strategic plan and growth initiatives,” he said.
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Carroll, who retired from Dominican University in River Forest in July 2021, grew the university’s enrollment, doubled the number of full-time faculty, created new schools, launched academic programs, modernized the campus, and raised more than $165 million during her 27-year tenure.
“I am delighted to join the North Central College community as interim president,” Carroll said in the release. “As an admiring colleague for many years, I have witnessed the college’s growth in academic complexity, reputation and athletic stature and I look forward to working collaboratively with trustees, colleagues, students and the Naperville community to continue that progress, and at the same time, prepare the campus to welcome its next long-serving president.”
Carroll earned her doctorate in counseling psychology/education and master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati after earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Wellesley College, according to the release.
Before serving as president of Dominican University, she worked in various administrative capacities at Fordham University, Mount Vernon College, Fairleigh Dickenson University and the University of Cincinnati, the release states.
“We’re continuing to build on North Central College’s legacy of transformative education and are positioning our institution, faculty and students for success in the future,” McDermet said. “With our interim leadership in place, the board looks forward to engaging with candidates for the permanent president and hearing their vision and plans to help North Central achieve even greater success in the decades to come.”
