LSSU president resigns

The Board of Trustees of Lake Superior State University has formally accepted the resignation of Dr. Rodney S. Hanley as president of the institution. Hanley had been in the role since July 2018.

SooLeader talked with chair of the LSSU Board of Trustees, Tim Lukenda, after the special board meeting called Monday to address the resignation.

"When the board was informed that Dr. Hanley wished to resign from his position as President, the board acted swiftly to work out a smooth transition that will be effective today, and begin immediately.  How that will unfold, will be evident through a series of motions to be brought forward in today's meeting," Lukenda said.

One of the motions was to appoint Dr. Lynn Gillette, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, to interim president of LSSU.  All board members were in favor.

"We are really looking forward at this point.  We have a lot of great things going on at this University," said Lukenda. "Dr. Gillette has been the Provost of the University for over five years now.  He has done a great job in the role and we feel he is a very capable leader that will provide stability and continuity during this transition period."

The board will now begin a national search for the next president. 

A news release from LSSU follows:

The Board of Trustees of Lake Superior State University has accepted the resignation of Dr. Rodney S. Hanley as president of the institution. He had been in the role since July 2018.

LSSU provost and vice-president for academic affairs Dr. Lynn G. Gillette has been appointed interim president effective immediately.

The board will begin a national search for the next president of LSSU imminently. 

“We wish Dr. Hanley and his family all the best in their future endeavors,” said Tim Lukenda, chair of the LSSU Board of Trustees. “It is time to look forward and maintain our focus on this great institution and all of the wonderful things it has to offer our students of today and in the future.”

Gillette has been provost at Lake State since 2018. He was provost at Nicholls State University from 2015 to 2018; provost, executive vice president, and president at Sierra Nevada College from 2008 to 2014; and an administrative leader at many other higher education institutions. Gillette earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Richmond and a doctorate in economics from Texas A&M University and is a graduate of Harvard University’s Management Development Program.