Three finalists, including two internal candidates, are in the running to be the next president of Minnesota North College.
Bart Johnson, Jessalyn Sabin and Clint Cowden were named finalists by the state’s college and university system.
Minnesota North is the umbrella college for several campuses including Vermilion in Ely.
The finalists were all scheduled to be on campus this week to meet with students, faculty, staff and community members.
Johnson, Sabin and Cowden emerged from a pool of applicants screened by a search committee comprised of students, faculty, staff, and community leaders, and was chaired by Anita Hanson, president of Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College.
They are vying for a job now held by Mike Raich, who is retiring as president at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Johnson currently serves Minnesota North College as the vice president of academic and student affairs, a position he has held since 2021.
Prior to his current role, he was provost at Itasca Community College from 2016-2022 and interim provost for a year prior to that.
He also worked at Itasca as dean of academic affairs and as a faculty member and co-founder of the Iron Range Engineering program from 2004-2013. He worked for John Deere as an engineer from 2001-2004 and as a research fellow for the Whirlpool Corporation. He completed pre-engineering studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead, and holds a bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University, a master’s from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate from the University of Aalborg (Denmark).
Sabin serves as the academic dean for career and technical programs and the Eveleth campus director for Minnesota North College, roles she has held since 2021. Prior to that she served two years as interim dean of academics at both the Hibbing and Rainy River, and was a biology instructor at Hibbing from 2013-2019.
Sabin also served as a graduate teaching assistant and researcher at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a doctorate from Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Cowden currently serves as the assistant superintendent/ vice president of instruction and student services at Palo Verde Community College District in California, a role he has held since 2024.
Previously, he served in several positions at Hartnell Community College District, California, as dean of academic affairs and campus chief administrative officer, dean of academic affairs— fine arts, social sciences, early childhood education, curriculum and scheduling, and dean of academic affairs—career technical education and workforce development.
Between 2014-2017 he served as director of the Farm of the Future at West Hills Community College, California, and as a faculty member there for 10 years prior to that. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from California Polytechnic State University.
The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is expected to consider Chancellor Scott Olson’s recommendation at its March 18 meeting. The anticipated start date of the new president is July 1.
