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It was like reading a good book on Thursday. A page turner if you will.

The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has named Kathleen “Kat” Linaker to serve as president of Riverland Community College. Her appointment becomes effective July 1, 2023.

Linaker was at the Austin campus as part of the three-site visit that introduced her to faculty and staff at Austin, Albert Lea and Riverland.

“It was the obvious warmth that really settled into my heart,” Linaker said, in reference to the interview process. “I’m very excited to be a part of Riverland.”

Both outgoing president, Dr. Adenuga Atewologun, and outgoing chancellor of Minnesota State, Devinder Malhotra, spoke about the new branch of Riverland’s history. 

“It is a new chapter in the history of Riverland Community College,” Atewologun said, who himself has now been president of the college for nearly 10 years. “A nice chapter.”

“It’s finishing one chapter in the history of Riverland and another chapter will begin soon,” Malhotra said.

Atewologun’s last day will be June 30 of this year, with Linaker officially taking over the position on July 1. Until then, both Atewologun and Linaker will be working together to ensure the exchange of power is done without complication. 

Malhotra spoke glowingly about Atewologun’s time at Riverland, relating that it was because of his work that RCC will continue strongly into the future.

“The college has a strong foundation … in no small measure of his leadership and efforts,” Malhotra said, before speaking directly to Atewologun. “You have positioned the college exceedingly well.”

Prior to Thursday’s event, when LInaker was first announced, Malhotra had similar praise for the incoming president, crediting her in a press release for her stalwart willingness to guide student success.

“Dr. Linaker is a strong leader who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to build on the solid foundation of Riverland and position it well for the future,” Malhotra said. “She is student-centered and is cognizant of the immense challenges many of our students must overcome to accomplish academic success and prepare for productive careers. I am delighted that she has accepted our offer to be the next leader of Riverland Community College.”

Linaker served Western Technical College (Wisconsin) as vice president of academics from 2018 to 2022. Previously, she served Mohawk Valley Community College (New York) as assistant vice president of academics and dean of the School of STEM, Health, and Natural Sciences (2016 to 2018), as dean of the Center for Life and Health Sciences (2015 to 2016), and as a SUNY Guided Pathways state coach (2016 to 2018). 

She served D’Youville University (New York) as the executive director of chiropractic programs (2009 to 2015). She was a faculty member from 1999 to 2009 and continues to teach one diagnostic imaging course each spring as an adjunct. She also brings 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry as an employee, small business owner, and consultant.

Some of her accomplishments include fostering equity-focused academic practices such as transitioning from remedial education courses and placement testing to placing students into college-level courses with embedded supports, increasing conversion from pre-college programming by over 200%. 

“I saw that Dr. Linaker is passionately dedicated to her students,” Malhotra said Thursday. “Dr. Linaker is ready for this presidentship. I’m thrilled.”

She led the design of a comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic plan that, in its first year, resulted in a 10% increase in diverse hires and is narrowing equity gaps across all demographics. Her work with local employers, K12 districts, and transfer partners has resulted in increased opportunities for students, especially those in small rural districts. Her career has brought her a wide range of skills including strategic planning, leadership, project and change management, fiscal management, team building, grant management, and fundraising.

All of these traits she is ready to bring to Riverland Community College.

“Thank you so much and I look forward to, truly, when I get to know you better,” she said.

The first in her family to attend college, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Alberta, a Doctor of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University (Minnesota), and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Loyola University (Illinois). She is a strong advocate for community and technical college education, having witnessed firsthand generational poverty and the power of education to transform the lives of both students and their families.