Finalists Chosen For Interim Dean At NTC

Three finalists are in the running to become Northwest Technical College’s next interim dean.

Dr. Faith Hensrud, President of Northwest Technical College and Bemidji State University, named James D. Clark, Paula T. Langteau and Thomas M. Whelihan as finalists Tuesday.

Each candidate will hold public forums at NTC as part of their on-campus interviews.

• 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 4 – Paula Langteau
• 9:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5 – James Clark
• 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5 – Thomas Whelihan

All three public forums will be held in Room 328 on the NTC campus.

The chosen candidate will replace Bob Griggs, who served as interim dean of the college for the last two years. Griggs also served as vice president of innovation and extended learning at both BSU and NTC.

Griggs announced his departure in July, where he will become president of Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D. He starts on Sept. 1.

He joined the BSU administration in 2000 as dean of distance learning and summer session, and held a variety of other roles before assuming the NTC interim dean role in 2014.

About the finalists:

James D. Clark
James Clark served as dean of academic affairs at Northwest Technical College from 2012-2014 and was interim dean of academic affairs and Chief Academic Officer at the college from 2011-12. Prior to that, he was a member of NTC’s faculty for two years and taught at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls, Minn., for two years. He also has held faculty positions at North Dakota State University and Mississippi State University.

Clark has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Tarleton State University and a master’s degree in land planning from the University of Arizona.

Paula T. Langteau
Paula Langteau was campus executive officer and dean of the University of Wisconsin-Marinette from 2004-2015 and is currently on leave from her position as senior special assistant to the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin colleges.

Prior to that, Langteau spent five years at Nicolet Area Technical College in Rhinelander, Wis. as dean of instruction and dean of teaching and learning, and 12 years at Georgia Perimeter College in Decatur, first as an associate professor of English and as a faculty development specialist and director of the college’s Center for Teaching and Learning.

Langteau has a bachelor’s degree in English from Eureka College, a master’s degree in English from Ball State University and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Thomas M. Whelihan
Thomas Whelihan spent nearly 20 years at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Detroit Lakes, including nearly four years as senior dean of academic affairs. Prior to that position, he spent a year as interim provost at the college and three years as dean of student services.

Whelihan has bachelor’s degrees in psychology and political science from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Wisconsin Superior.