Carroll University appoints new president
WAUKESHA, WIS. (May 16, 2017) – Carroll University has named Dr. Cindy Gnadinger as its
next president. She will serve as Carroll’s fifteenth president and succeed President Douglas
Hastad who will retire after leading the University for over a decade. Gnadinger brings more
than two decades of experience in higher education to the role, most recently serving at
Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.
“We’re excited to welcome Dr. Gnadinger as our next leader,” said Jim DeJong ’73, immediate
past chair of the Carroll University Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search
committee. “Beyond her impressive credentials, she is a dynamic leader with a strong
commitment to higher education. Her demonstrated ability to engage the entire Carroll
community will be very important in shaping a strategic vision for the university’s future. Under
Dr. Gnadinger’s leadership, we will continue to support the many achievements of the past
decade while creating new opportunities that continue to move Carroll forward.”
Gnadinger, 50 has more than 23 years of experience in higher education and over 15 years in
administration. She was selected by the Board of Trustees after a nationwide search and a
unanimous recommendation from a search committee comprised of trustees, faculty, staff,
graduate and undergraduate students, and alumni. Myers McRae Executive Search and
Consulting assisted with the comprehensive search, which included a diverse pool of
applicants from across the country. Gnadinger will be the first woman to serve in the role of
president at Carroll University since its inception in 1846.
Among her many accomplishments, Gnadinger is a 2013 recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship
which allowed her to travel abroad to France with other administrators to visit many higher
educational institutions and explore partnership opportunities. The Fulbright Program is the
flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is
designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other
countries.
“Carroll Is impressive in every respect. In addition to its outstanding academic reputation, I was
drawn to the university’s strong foundation in the liberal arts, its expanding role as a leader in
the health sciences and its commitment to a culture of service in a diverse and global society,”
said Gnadinger. “I am privileged to join Carroll and honored to serve our students, alumni,
faculty, staff and community. Together, we have an opportunity to create, innovate and
pioneer.”
Currently, Gnadinger is an executive consultant for Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky. She
serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and provides input on all units of the university,
with special focus on issues related to accreditation and regulatory compliance. She previously
held many roles at Bellarmine from 2000-2013, including faculty member, department head,
dean and assistant vice president for academic affairs. She played an important role in the
institution’s significant growth through the development of new programs and was instrumental
in helping lead faculty development. In addition, Gnadinger spent time at William Peace
University in Raleigh, N.C. (2013-2014) as vice president for academic affairs and St.
Catharine College in St. Catharine, Ky., serving as provost (2014-2015) and then president
(2015-2016).
Gnadinger earned her bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University and master’s
degree from the University of Louisville. She has a Doctor of Education in education
supervision from the University of Louisville. A native of Shepherdsville, Ky., Gnadinger has
been married to her husband, John, an employee of Johnson Controls, for nearly 27 years and
has three sons, Luke, Dean and Kyle who are pursuing careers as a ceramic artist, actor and
musician, respectively. Gnadinger and her husband will make the move to Waukesha with their
bichon frise, Truman.
For more information, visit carrollu.edu.
Interviews
• Jim DeJong, chair of the presidential search committee is available via phone today
• Cindy Gnadinger is available via phone from 3-4 pm today
Carroll University
Carroll University was incorporated in 1846, making it Wisconsin’s first four-year institution of
higher learning. Situated in Waukesha, the independent, co-educational comprehensive
university is grounded in the liberal arts tradition, and offers more than 95 areas of study, eight
graduate programs and a clinical doctorate in physical therapy. For more information, visit
www.carrollu.edu, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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