Lake Superior College News Releases

(Duluth, Minn.) — Lake Superior College has named Tom Tonkin interim dean of business and industry. He will administer and lead the college’s Business and Industry Division, supervising more than 70 full- and part-time faculty members and staff in 22 programs.

Tonkin served as dean of construction, manufacturing and transportation and taught surveying and civil technology at Hennepin Technical College in the Twin Cities. He has worked in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system since 1975. Prior to that, he taught high school industrial technology courses for Minneapolis Public Schools.

Tonkin is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is originally from Duluth where he now lives. He retired in 2005 and moved back home to Duluth after living and working in the Twin Cities for 38 years.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) — Lake Superior College has named Hanna Erpestad Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She will administer and lead the college’s Liberal Arts and Science Division, supervising more than 100 full and part-time faculty members.

Erpestad served as interim dean at Lake Superior College during a national search to fill the position. Prior to that, Erpestad was an English instructor at LSC, and also served as Faculty Chair of the Liberal Arts and Science Division. She has been a member of the LSC faculty since 1999 and has received several awards for teaching, including Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Faculty Award of Excellence (2006) and LSC’s Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Technology (2007).

Erpestad holds an associate in arts degree from Lake Superior College and bachelor and master degrees in English from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She has also completed graduate courses in humanities and educational leadership at Hamline and Bemidji State University respectively, and is a 2006 graduate of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ Luoma Leadership Academy.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,300 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

Roger Reinert has been appointed coordinator of the Tri-Campus Commission. Reinert will be responsible for organizing, guiding, and administering the work of the commission toward its initial objective of promoting the responsible use of alcohol by students of the three participating institutions: the College of St. Scholastica, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and Lake Superior College. As coordinator, Reinert will serve as a liaison with the community, interacting with organized citizen groups, law enforcement, and other government agencies.

Reinert holds a master’s of science in education from Mankato State University, and a bachelor of science and associate of science degrees from the University of Minnesota and Willmar Community College, respectively. Roger also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses as an adjunct political science instructor for the University of Minnesota Duluth and Lake Superior College. Reinert also serves as an at large Duluth city councilor and has been on the Duluth City Council since 2004.

The Tri-Campus Commission on Student Use of Alcohol was formed seven years ago by the member institutions. It has worked with community partners to address issues raised by student use of alcohol. Its member campuses develop preventative strategies and programming aimed at promoting responsible use of alcohol as well as controlling inappropriate and dangerous alcohol consumption by students enrolled at their institutions.

This is the first position ever jointly funded by Duluth’s three largest higher education campuses. These member institutions hope the Commission will also provide an ongoing venue to address other shared
student-community issues.

For more information about the Commission, contact Beth Adams, Commission Chair and Vice President of Student Services at Lake Superior College, b.adams@lsc.edu, (218) 733-5928; or Roger Reinert, Commission Coordinator, r.reinert@lsc.edu, (218) 733-2037.

(Duluth, Minn.) — Paul Damberg has been hired as the new executive director of the Lake Superior College Foundation. He will be responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with alumni and members of the community. He is also tasked with seeking and securing funding from existing supporters and new potential contributors to the Lake Superior College Foundation.

Damberg previously served as the director of development for KUMD-FM at the University of Minnesota Duluth for the last 16 years. During that time, he expanded underwriting support of programming from businesses seven-fold and also contributed to more than tripling the membership support of the station. He also managed marketing and public relations for KUMD.

Damberg is a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul. He lives in Eveleth, Minnesota.

The Lake Superior College Foundation exists to facilitate active involvement in the development of Lake Superior College. Its mission is to support the educational, cultural, and service goals of Lake Superior College by acting as its designated friend and fund-raiser.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,100 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) — Lake Superior College has named Hanna Erpestad Interim Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She will administer and lead the college’s Liberal Arts and Science Division, supervising more than 100 full and part-time faculty members. She will serve in that role as LSC conducts a national search to fill the position.

Erpestad, an English instructor at Lake Superior College, also served as Faculty Chair of the Liberal Arts and Science Division prior to her appointment. She has been a member of the LSC faculty since 1999 and has received several awards for teaching, including Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Faculty Award of Excellence (2006), and the Teaching Excellence Award (Runner-up) for Lake Superior College Online (2007).

Erpestad holds an associate in arts degree from Lake Superior College and bachelor and master degrees in English from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She has also completed graduate courses in humanities and educational leadership at Hamline and Bemidji State University respectively, and is a 2006 graduate of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Luoma Leadership Academy.

Erpestad will be on a leave of absence from her teaching duties while serving in the interim position.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,000 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota

(Duluth, Minn.) — Deb Johnson has been hired as the foundation director for Lake Superior College. She will be responsible for managing all the Foundation activities, including fundraising, scholarship endowments and foundation special event planning.

Johnson comes to Lake Superior College from Schering Plough where she worked to promote cardiovascular drug therapy. Her fundraising background includes working with the Junior League of Duluth, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwa, the South Mississippi Humane Society and the Lyn Meadows Discovery Center.

The LSC Foundation’s mission is to support the educational, cultural, and service goals of Lake Superior College by acting as its designated friend and fund-raiser.

The Lake Superior College Foundation is the center for creatively developing business, community, and college resources, supporting student needs, and promoting excellence in teaching and learning.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 3,800 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota