Anita Thomas, president of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, has stepped down from her role during a leave of absence. Her resignation was effective July 30, about one year after she took office on July 1, 2023.
When she assumed her presidency last summer, Dr. Thomas became the college’s first woman and first person of color to hold the position. She came to North Central College after decades of experience in higher education. Prior to her presidency, she served as the executive vice president and provost of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Earlier in her career, she spent 10 years with Loyola University Chicago, serving as a professor of counseling psychology and school counseling. She also had a stint at the University of Indianapolis, where she was the founding dean of the College of Applied Behavioral Sciences.
Dr. Thomas’ academic pursuits in the field of psychology led her to co-authoring two books: Culture and Identity: Stories for Therapists and Counselors (SAGE, 2016) and Dimensions of Multicultural Counseling: A Life Story Approach (SAGE, 2008).
A native of Louisville, Dr. Thomas is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she majored in education and social policy. She holds a master’s degree in community counseling and a doctorate in counseling psychology from Loyola University Chicago.
