Russell Swagger

Key Achievements

· Transformed tribal community college into a Tribal University offering first-ever bachelors and masters degrees

· Building first-ever residence hall for single-students

· Developed a state-licensed and fully-accredited nursing program

· Developed a state-licensed and fully-accredited teacher education program with emphases in Ojibwe language and Early Childhood Education

· Developed first-ever Career and Technical Education program

· Created an Advancement, Marketing, and Communication division and raised nearly $20 million in 4 years

· Created many new scholarships amounting to several hundred thousand dollars annually distributed to students

· Created master facility plan

· Increased enrollment from 288 students annually to 530 students in 18 months

· Successfully led University through the Covid-19 Pandemic

Key Responsibilities

· Lead Accreditation and Successfully secured 10-year continued accreditation with no monitoring visits

· Manage a core-operating budget of $5+ million annually with a multi-million grants budget

· Successfully administered Covid funding of nearly $20 million

· Lead development of and created several successfully implemented strategic plans

· Lead and maintain financial well-being and implemented budgeting process to ensure every employee has input in the process

· Manage University and Board of Regents relationship and successfully collaborate with the University Board of Regents

· Raise funds for organizational success and created Fundraising Advisory Board

· Maintain positive community relations through creation of Elder Advisory Board

• Conducted Board of Directors Training for Tribal College Board

• Prepared board policies, Job descriptions, committee structure, and performance matrix for Tribal College Board

• Provided professional Insights and advice to facility manager on master facility planning

• Advised the ND Suicide Prevention program director to create a nonprofit dedicated to fighting suicide and its effects

• Worked with ND Center for Persons with Disabilities to connect with representatives in tribal communities to strengthen services to the disabled

• Created strategic plans for tribal organizations

• Led strategic planning workshops for tribal leaders and organizations

• Led strategic planning for tribal higher education institutions

Key Achievements

· Wrote successfully funded family support grant for $70,000

· Wrote successfully funded mentor grant for $100,000

· Wrote a strategic enrollment management plan based on an assessment I conducted of the market footprint, competition, and optimal enrollment target

· Facilitated a faculty/staff/administration survey known as "Beyond Flnancial Aid to create strategies aimed at retaining low income students

· Received Beeg!e Institute "Poverty Coach" certification

· Managing retention program and maintained a 95% retention rate with focus on High Risk students

· Lead the facilitation of meetings leading to a comprehensive and proactive mental health intervention program for students.

· Lead the development of an on-campus medical/mental health facility in partnership with Cloquet Memorial Hospital officials

· Wrote grant and budget for College's 'Family Support Center" grant to keep parents in school and successful

· Envisioned and lead the development of a hybrid student orientation with most aspects to be offered online

Key Responsibilities

· Completed training as a I.B.I Discrimination and Harassment Investigator through the MinnState System Offce

· Responsible for overseeing disability services

· Supervised Trio, Academic Advising, Registration/ Admissions, Athletics, Bookstore, Student Judicial Process, Residential Living, Student Life, Recruitment/Retention, Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Student Senate, Anishinaabe Student Councill campus security and Student Activities

· Chaired the Joint Student Services Group that discusses important organizational issues regarding student success strategies

· Administered SENSE survey 2017

· Involved in preparation for Active Shooter training and practice drills

· Volunteered to assume responsibility for elements of the Sponsored Programs office due to staffing shortage. I was responsible for ensuring time and effort compliance for grant funded positions

· Attended MinnState System Office Sexual Violence Prevention conference

· Attended MinnState System Office New Administrator training

· Led the implementation and completion of a Facility Vulnerability and Threat Assessment

· Served on MinnState System Office "Adult Promise Steering Committee"

· Served on Campus Safety Review Team for MinnState as we search for a system-wide campus safety solution

· Implemented and managed Great Lakes Guaranty Agency relationship for "Project Success" aimed at retaining students and administer emergency aid grant program

· Investigator of all 1.B.3 complaints

· Prepared and submitted Clery Report

· Involved in discussions with local secondary school officials regarding PSEO, CITS, and other associated issues

· Served as co-chair for FDLTCC's participation in "Achieving the Dream” project

· Participated and engaged in important discussions with faculty association and on-campus union representatives to create a positive and successful teaching and learning environment for everyone

· Member of President's Cabinet.

· Involved in budgeting, policy discussions, staffing solutions, fundraising activities, partnership development, student/staff/faculty issues to ensure sound and stable college operations and planning

· In collaboration with HR, completed a Title IX Checklist assessment to measure our compliance.

· Serve as Title IX Coordinator

Key Achievements

• Led needs assessment and strategic planning process for a, grassroots community organization; serving the homeless, and hungry

• Raised approximately $300,000 from major donors and grant funding

• Created in-house work programs that nurtured 150 homeless people. These programs helped residents to develop skills to become employable

• Worked with leadership from the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development, to create a new model for connecting homeless people with employers

• Achieved, for the first time ever, accreditation for The Mission through the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions

• Worked with homeless clients from multiple ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds to help ensure their personal right to express and worship according to their beliefs

• Built a Chapel, hired a Chaplain, and established Christian programming for the homeless people living at The Mission

• Worked specifically with Native American clients to also help them protect their ability to use sage, sweet grass, and other various medicines to practice their faith

Key Responsibilities

• Oversaw day-to-day operations of a complex organization, nearly 100% funded by individual donors

• Conducted research and created programs aimed at developing skills, knowledge, and capabilities of homeless people

• Wrote for, received, and administered grants from local, state, federal, and private resources

• Initiated successful direct mail fundraising campaigns with a donor data base of more than 5,000 people in Minnesota and North Dakota

• Led marketing and fundraising efforts; participated in TV commercials, radio interviews, wrote, and edited marketing and advertising materials

• Coordinated with local religious, communities, and for-profit and non-profit organizations to provide for the needs people experiencing homelessness

• Planned and coordinated major donor fundraising functions

• Planned and coordinated annual fundraising banquet

Planned and coordinated annual golf funding raising tournament

Key Achievements

• Successfully opened a new out-of-state learning center in Rapid City, SD for the college
• Successfully led an accreditation reaffirmation visit. Secured authority from accrediting agency to offer all degree programs online
• Launched 3 first-ever bachelor degree programs

Key Responsibilities

• Supervised all of the colleges 350 employees located on and off campus with 15 direct reports including Vice Presidents and Program Directors
• Performed typical day-to-day duties a President and Executive Vice-President
• Served as Administrative Council Chair from 2001-2011
• Served as lead strategic planner from 2001-2011

Key Achievements

• Led the growth of the student population from 350 students to 1,200 students. Exceeded Presidents goal of 1,000 students

• Maintained enrollment of 1 ,200 students for several consecutive years. Growth steadily increased for more than 10 years under my strategic leadership

• Led the second major organizational restructuring for the President, Board, and Administrative Team. Moved from a centralized to de-centralized administrative approach

• Led 2 major strategic plans and successfully accomplished ail goals identified in the planning process

• Served as interim comptroller. Was responsible for developing, analyzing, and reporting on budgetary matters. Reversed threat of discontinued funding by working with cognizant agency

• Acquired 233 acres for expansion. Supervised 130 skilled laborers and AAS/LPN/RN/Bachelor/Master/Ph.D. level employees

• Led construction of 110 acre existing campus infrastructure replacement

• Raised money for and built new infrastructure for newly acquired 233-acre campus addition

• Raised money for and built 36,000 square foot STEM building on new campus

• Raised money for and replaced roads on existing campus

• Raised money for and built a multi-purpose facility

• Raised money for and built a new health and wellness facility

• Raised money for and built a 100-bed co-ed residence hall

• Managed tax-credit project and built a new 24-unit multi-family apartment building

• Raised money for and renovated and addressed decades of deferred maintenance to a campus with over 100-buildings and nearly 350 acres of land on a State historical site

Key Responsibilities

• Supervised advisors responsible for working with students to help them create realistic academic plans. The plans provided students with a pathway from education to industry

• Provided advocacy for the college at local, tribal, state, and federal levels. Analyzed needs, wrote, and delivered testimony in person to decision-makers at all of these levels

• Networked and created partnerships with state colleges, high schools, tribal schools, tribal colleges, and other industry partners. Partnerships were designed for transfer of credits, internships, scholarships, grants and many other opportunities for graduates and partners

• Taught Tribal leadership development courses to Native American students seeking a bachelor's education

• Managed budgets ranging from $16-20 million annually

• Raised in excess of $15,000,000 in grants

• Managed 233 acres, 100 buildings, and 25 programs

• Created partnerships with employers of businesses operating in tie vocational trades programs we offered. We wanted to be sure employers were satisfied with the quality of our graduates skills, knowledge, and abilities. We ensured our graduates could compete in the workplace

• Developed curriculum aligned with industry standards and best practices. Training programs were designed using modules, meaning that graduates were required to demonstrate mastery in their trade prior to being graduated

• Created advisory boards comprised of local and national professionals in the field. These professionals worked directly with faculty and students in coursework design. We wanted to be sure that we were adequately preparing our graduates for workforce realities

• Sought overall and individual accreditation from organizations. Ensured our programs were exceeding established standards and that coursework was rigorous and relevant

• Provided various continuing education coursework for professionals already working in the field to help them advance their careers

• Led my division's individual and overall strategic planning process. Responsible for facilitating discussions resulting in a written and shared mission, vision, and values statement as well as tangible and realistic goals

• Innovated many projects to recruit, retain, and orient high-risk students to our environment. These innovations were often technological in nature in order to create greater efficiencies

• Built curriculum, budgets, and plans for certificate training, associates and bachelors degree level courses for accreditation