Committee forwards two presidential appointments to full board; Linda Kingston recommended for Lake Superior, Paku Yang named Normandale interim

The Workforce and Organizational Effectiveness Committee voted unanimously to forward two personnel recommendations to the full Minnesota State Board of Trustees: the appointment of Linda Kingston as president of Lake Superior College and the appointment of Dr. Paku Yang as interim president of Normandale Community College.

Chancellor Olsen told the committee that the Lake Superior College search was a national process with 56 applicants; four finalists were invited to campus and extensive campus feedback favored Kingston. The chancellor recommended Kingston, noting her 32 years in higher education and 25 years in the Minnesota State system, her current role as vice president for academic and student affairs at Lake Superior College, and experience leading the college’s HLC site visit and securing an Inclusive Higher Education grant (a renewable grant described in the recommendation as up to $1,400,000 for an inclusive program).

The committee’s recommendation to the full board read: the board, upon the chancellor’s recommendation, appoint Linda Kingston as president of Lake Superior College with an anticipated effective date of July 1, 2025, subject to completion of an employment agreement. The resolution also authorized the chancellor, in consultation with committee and board leadership, to negotiate and execute the employment agreement in accordance with Minnesota State personnel procedures.

On Normandale, the chancellor described an expedited internal search for an interim president after President Joyce Esther accepted another presidency. He said ten applications were received and four candidates interviewed; he recommended Dr. Paku Yang, currently vice president for academic and student affairs at Century College, citing Yang’s two decades in the system, pandemic leadership, work on P-20 and college readiness initiatives, and awards for leadership and teaching. The committee recommended appointing Yang as interim president effective June 4, 2025, subject to an employment agreement. The chancellor and trustees clarified that interim appointees are not prohibited from applying for the permanent position unless policy states otherwise (the board previously removed that restriction).

Both committee recommendations were moved and seconded and recorded as approved by roll call. The committee minutes and the chancellor’s comments indicated unanimous approval and that the items would be forwarded to the full board for final action.

Votes at a glance: the committee reported unanimous approval of the recommendation to forward each appointment to the board; the board later recorded unanimous “aye” votes on committee motions during the meeting.

Context: The committee described an extensive campus and trustee engagement process for the Lake Superior search and an internal, accelerated process for the Normandale interim, consistent with board policy for interim appointments. The Lake Superior recommendation highlighted campus support, community partnerships and prior leadership in strategic planning and program development. The Normandale interim appointment emphasizes continuity and operational leadership for the coming year.

Next steps: Both recommendations will appear before the full Board of Trustees for final action; each appointment is subject to completion of an employment agreement and further board-level approval, per the chancellor’s recommendation language.