Presidential Search

GovState Expected to Announce its Seventh President

Updated: Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Dear GovState Community,

The Governors State University (GovState) Board of Trustees (BOT) will meet on April 24 and is expected to select the University’s seventh president at that time.

After convening a cross-functional search committee to conduct a national search, which drew over 60 applicants, the University has reached a tentative agreement with Dr. Joyce Ester to succeed Dr. Cheryl F. Green, who retired March 1, 2025, after leading the university for more than four years.

Well-versed in the world of higher education, Dr. Ester brings more than 30 years of experience in various roles throughout academia that addressed academic and student affairs, faculty and staff governance, and financial management.

An accomplished leader in higher education, Dr. Ester is currently serving as President of Normandale Community College (Normandale) in Bloomington, Minnesota, a position she has held since 2014. Normandale Community College is the largest college and third largest institution in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, serving more than 14,000 credit students and more than 2,000 non-credit students annually.

Under her leadership, Normandale saw an 18 percent enrollment increase among students of color between 2015-2020 and has continued to be one of the top transfer institutions in the state.

Additionally, Dr. Ester recently secured a $2 million lead gift to support the development of a new Interdisciplinary Professional Education (IPE) program and facilities for Health Care for Normandale.

Before joining Normandale, Dr. Ester served two years as President of Kennedy King College, one of seven schools that comprise City Colleges of Chicago. She has also served as Associate Vice President for Student Services for Bakersfield College, Assistant Vice President for Judicial Affairs and Division Planning at California State University Fresno, and Assistant Dean of Students/Judicial Affairs at University of California, Santa Barbara.

A native of Phoenix, Illinois, Dr. Ester holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara; a Master of Arts in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara; and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Northern Illinois University.

Her extensive experience in higher education extends beyond her leadership at Normandale. Dr. Ester is also the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Higher Learning Commission, and a Gallaudet University Board of Trustees member.

Board Chair James Kvedaras said the Board is excited to work with Dr. Ester, who brings a wealth of knowledge and varied experience in higher education.

“As an alumnus and chairman of the Board of Trustees that leads Governors State University, I can say we are honored to begin a new chapter in the University’s history with the inspired leadership of Dr. Ester.”

Dr. Ester said she is also honored to have been selected to serve as the 7th President of Governors State University. “I look forward to joining this community who is dedicated to student success and whose core value of "deliberate university focus on student achievement of academic, professional and personal goals" resonates deeply with my own,” Dr. Ester said.

It is anticipated that Dr. Ester’s appointment will be effective as of July 1, 2025, subject to Board approval on April 24, 2025.

Sincerely,

Office of Communications

About the Finalists

Dr. Ester is the president of Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, where she has served since 2014. Dr. Ester holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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Dr. Lopez is the president of Harold Washington College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago, where he has served since 2019. Dr. Lopez holds a Doctorate in Education from Illinois State University.

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Dr. Reber is the eighth president of Hudson County Community College (HCCC) in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he has served since 2018. Dr. Reber holds a Doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Pittsburgh.

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