Dr. Joyce C. Ester was named Governors State University’s seventh president in 2025, bringing more than three decades of experience in academia, including academic and student affairs, faculty and staff governance and financial management. This includes presidencies at Normandale Community College in Minnesota, overseeing an 18% increase in enrollment by students of color, and Kennedy-King College in Chicago, where she led initiatives focused on student success, workforce development and community engagement. This fall, Ester will become chair of the Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees.
