St. Scholastica announces campaign co-chairs

In advance of the public campaign announcement on Nov. 30, The College of St. Scholastica is pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas (Tom) and Michelle (Mimi) Stender of Duluth and Chris ’01 and Ryan ’09 Dolan of Maple Grove, MN as co-chairs of A Second Century of Saints Campaign. Both couples bring extensive professional and volunteer experience to the campaign leadership roles.

President Barbara McDonald is enthusiastic about the work of the co-chairs and the campaign committee. “For the last two years, even through the pandemic, much work has been done to position St. Scholastica for the present and future,” she said. “There is still so much more to do. We are fortunate to have supporters and volunteers like the Stenders and the Dolans who see the value in strengthening this institution to meet the needs of students in a tangible way.”

The Stenders are no strangers to St. Scholastica. Tom’s father, Bruce Stender, is a past president of the college; The Stender School of Business was recently named in his honor. Mimi — Founder and President of Duluth Aging Support, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of older adults and caregivers in the Northland through outreach, awareness, advocacy, and collaborative partnerships — is a current member of the St. Scholastica Board of Trustees.

“Mimi and I strongly believe in the mission of the College and are excited to be a part of this transformative campaign that will enhance the student experience,” Tom said.

Chris and Ryan Dolan remain connected to the St. Scholastica community and have served as key volunteers in the Twin Cities. Chris, a 2001 undergraduate alumnus, is a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP in Minneapolis, where he specializes in environmental and natural resources litigation, regulatory engagement, enforcement, permitting, and sustainability matters. He is a Trustee Emeritus and former chair of the St. Scholastica Board of Trustees. Ryan, a 2009 graduate alumnus, is a Data Scientist at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. Both Chris and Ryan attribute their professional success to opportunities provided to them through higher education and are committed to increasing access for more students to develop these opportunities at the College.

“We have a fantastic group of campaign volunteers who are committed to ensuring the future of St. Scholastica,” Chris said. “Ryan and I are excited to be co-leading this effort with the Stenders and we are committed to its success.”

The public announcement of the Campaign is scheduled for Nov. 30. At that time, College officials will be announcing bold new initiatives for the future of St. Scholastica.