New CSS head sees strong ties to business community

Fourteenth president of The College of St. Scholastica Brenda Kelly, PhD, recently interviewed with BusinessNorth to discuss her early priorities for the College and its connections to the Twin Ports region.

In the interview, Dr. Kelly discussed St. Scholastica’s role in preparing professionals for the region’s workforce, particularly in healthcare, pointing to partnerships with Essentia and St. Luke’s Aspirus. “Duluth is such an important medical hub for the region,” she said.

On the business side, Dr. Kelly emphasized the Stender School of Leadership, Business, and Professional Studies and its impact on the Twin Ports region: “We develop business leaders for this region with an eye toward community and common good.”

Across all graduates, as Dr. Kelly noted, St. Scholastica reports the highest early post-graduate earnings among Minnesota’s four-year colleges and universities.

Just weeks into her presidency, Dr. Kelly has focused on building relationships with College constituents, meeting with people to “listen and understand where St. Scholastica has been, what we are good at and where there are opportunities for growth.” You can read the full article on BusinessNorth’s website.