Dr. Jade Herman, South
Dakota Mines chief of staff, has been accepted to the prestigious Millennium
Leadership Initiative hosted by the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities (AASCU).
Jade Herman, Ed.D., South Dakota Mines chief of staff,
has been accepted into the 2023- 2024
cohort of the Millennium Leadership Initiative hosted by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
According to AASCU, the Millennium
Leadership Initiative (MLI) was launched in 1999 as a premier leadership
development program designed to diversify and enrich the American college
presidency. The year-long initiative is rooted in preparing higher education
leaders from traditionally underrepresented communities with the skills,
philosophical overview and networks necessary to advance to the highest ranks
of postsecondary education. Through its rich network of faculty, alumni and
other key campus leaders, MLI connects aspiring presidents and chancellors to
the expertise, experiences and resources required to thrive. Participants
receive a realistic look at what the role of a president entails, including
navigating the current landscape of political polarization, inequities and
funding shortfalls.
Since MLI’s inception, nearly 700 individuals have
completed the program, with 153 going on to become university presidents or
chancellors and 40 serving multiple presidencies or chancellorships.
Herman is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux
Tribe and grew up in Mission, SD. She graduated from South Dakota Mines in 2009
with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary sciences. She also earned a master’s
degree in administrative studies with a specialization in organizational
leadership from the University of South Dakota, and doctor of education degree
in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University. In 2011, she returned
to South Dakota Mines as a staff member and held various public relations
positions before transitioning to the Office of the President in 2016. She was
named the university’s first ever chief of staff in the fall of 2021 and now
serves on the executive leadership team. Additionally, Herman is a member of
the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation board, where she sits on the
museum/cultural affairs and development committees and serves as vice chair of
the education committee. She also serves as secretary and marketing committee
chair of the Rapid City Summer Nights board and is an alumni volunteer for the
Native Forward Scholars Fund.
“We’re incredibly fortunate to have high caliber
leaders on campus like Dr. Herman,” says Mines President Jim Rankin, Ph.D.,
P.E. “Her expertise and long history of service on this campus, from her time
as a student to her role on executive leadership team today, make her
indispensable. I’m pleased to see AASCU is recognizing her future potential by
adding her to the next cohort of the MLI.”
Read more in this press release
from AASCU.