Oct. 20, 2022 11:15a
(WGTD)---Shunning three finalists with ties to the Wisconsin Technical College System, trustees at Gateway Technical College picked a woman who currently serves as an administrator at a community college in Texas as the school's next president.
Ritu Raju will begin her new job at the first of the year. She will replace Bryan Albrecht, who was the first to offer his congratulations to her at a Gateway Board meeting held in Elkhorn Thursday morning. "I'm so proud that you're going to be the next president," Albrecht said. "I look forward to continuing to work with you and eventually handing the baton off to you," he said.
In response, Raju said: "You will always be our President Emeritus and as such I will always seek your guidance."
Albrecht previously agreed to help with the transition for whomever succeeded him.
The vote to appoint Raju as president came after the board met in closed session for over an hour. The vote—taken in open session—was unanimous.
Raju currently serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Tarrant County College’s Northeast campus near Ft. Worth. She previously served as a dean for advanced manufacturing at Houston Community College.
She was among four finalists who paid visits to Gateway campuses last month and met with students and staff.
The three other candidates all hold administrative positions at technical colleges in Wisconsin.
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