Eastern to host presidential candidate Thom D. Chesney, Ph.D. April 20-21, 2023

Eastern to host presidential candidate Thom D. Chesney, Ph.D. April 20-21, 2023

LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University welcomes presidential candidate Thom D. Chesney, Ph.D. on Thursday, April 20 and Friday, April 21. Chesney will spend a day and a half in La Grande meeting with EOU students, faculty, and staff, interacting with business and community leaders, and touring the campus. 

Chesney’s career in higher education has spanned nearly 25 years. Most recently, he served as the President of Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. At Clarke, he orchestrated changes in enrollment management systems which led to enrollment growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also expanded shared governance, increased professional development opportunities, and developed board education for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Throughout his career, Chesney has overseen and shepherded strategic planning at several institutions, initiated agreements with community colleges to facilitate transfer student enrollment, and built partnerships to lower financial barriers for students. He is the recipient of several awards and distinctions including the lifetime professional achievement award from the Sigma Chi International Fraternity, and the College Safety Planning and Leadership Award from the American Association of Community Colleges. 

Prior to Clarke, Chesney served as President of Brookhaven College in Dallas, Texas; as Associate Provost and Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, Texas; and as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost at Collin College in Plano, Texas. 

Chesney holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Florida State University and an M.A. in English–Creative Writing from Minnesota State University. 

Members of the public are invited to meet Chesney at an open forum on Thursday, April 20 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Huber Auditorium located in the Badgley Science Center on the EOU campus. The forum will be followed by a community reception in the Science Center foyer from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

To read Chesney’s full Curriculum Vitae and cover letter, visit eou.edu/presidential-search.