Feb. 2, 2023 1:45p
(WGTD)---UW-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford is leaving to take a similar job at a four-year school in Indiana.
In an open letter, Ford said she's accepted an offer to become chancellor at Indiana University Southeast, located just across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
Ford is an Indiana University alumna. "This new opportunity will allow my family to be closer together after 20 years away from the Greater Louisville area," Ford wrote. "I will be able to continue to follow my passion in higher education as a champion of student success. We are also going to be grandparents this spring and this new role gets us much closer to Abby and Shane," she said.
Ford will ride out the current semester at UW-Parkside and begin her new job on July 1st.
She's led UW-Parkside for the past 14 years.
In her letter, Ford said she's both saddened and excited. "I hope my leadership has reflected my admiration of UW-Parkside," she said. "We have so much to be proud of within our university."
Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman called Ford's pending departure a big loss for the area. "Chancellor Debbie Ford's commitment to and advocacy for UW-Parkside has been top-notch and I am hopeful the next Chancellor can continue that focus on delivering great outcomes and value for the students and community UW-Parkside serves," Kerkman said in a news release.
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