Four Minnesota State two-year colleges get new leaders

The Minnesota State system has named new leaders for four of its two-year colleges.

This week, the board of trustees approved the appointments of Carrie Brimhall as president of Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Craig Johnson as president of Ridgewater College, and Michael Berndt as interim president of two schools, Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College.

Brimhall has been vice president of academic affairs at Minnesota State Community and Technical College since 2014. She also is a graduate of the college, which has about 8,000 students at its four campuses in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena. She will succeed Peggy Kennedy, who is retiring after six years as president.

Johnson, a former director at Winona State University, is executive director of the University Center-South Dakota Public Universities & Research Center. He will return to Minnesota to head Ridgewater College, a community and technical school with more than 5,000 students in Willmar and Hutchinson, replacing the acting president, Betty Strehlow.

Berndt, who is now vice president at Century College, will serve a one-year term at the Dakota County and Inver Hills colleges. Officials say a search will begin this fall for a permanent replacement for President Tim Wynes, who is retiring. The two schools, with main campuses in Rosemount and Inver Grove Heights, have operated under a shared presidency since 2015.

They all start their new jobs July 1.

Maura Lerner • 612-673-7384