Dear Colleagues,

Winona State Vice President for University Advancement Dr. Ron Dempsey has been named the next President of Oakland City University in Oakland City, Indiana. Please join me in congratulating him on this well-deserved recognition.Dr. Ron Dempsey

We will soon announce a process for identifying an Interim Vice President for Advancement, and then will begin a search for a new permanent Vice President for University Advancement.

I’m proud to say that Winona State University has a unique history of creating leaders in higher education. In modern times, there have been eleven Presidents or Chancellors of other institution whose leadership was nurtured at WSU, including former WSU Provost Dr. Patricia Rogers, who recently began her service asPresident of Lake Superior College in Duluth. To me, this is a reflection of the high quality of administrators, faculty members, and staff we have here at WSU. I’m not aware of another university with such an illustrious track record!

Dr. Dempsey will now become the 12th University President to “graduate” from Winona State. He earned this appointment through his own talent—talent that WSU benefitted from along the way—but I’m sure in many ways his experiences here helped shape and prepare him for further leadership.

Please join me in wishing Dr. Dempsey great success at Oakland City University and in thanking him for his dedicated service to Winona State and the Winona community.

Sincerely yours,

Scott R. Olson
President