Joyce Ester has been named the seventh president of Governors State University in Illinois. She succeeds the late Cheryl Green, who recently passed away a month after retiring from her presidency.
According to the most recent federal information, Governors State University enrolls over 2,500 undergraduate students, 41 percent of whom are Black. The university has a graduate population of roughly 1,800 students.
With over 30 years of professional experience, Dr. Ester has held key academic and administrative leadership roles with several institutions. For the past decade, she has served as president of Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota. She also currently serves as vice chair of the board of trustees for the Higher Learning Commission and is a board member for Gallaudet University, a federally chartered higher education institution for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Before Normandale, Dr. Ester spent two years as president of Kennedy-King College, one of seven campuses of the City Colleges of Chicago. She has also served as associate vice president for student services at Bakersfield College; assistant vice president for judicial affairs and division planning at California State University, Fresno; and assistant dean of students and judicial affairs at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“It’s an honor to be officially selected as the seventh president of Governors State University,” said Dr. Ester. “I am ecstatic to contribute to GovState’s vision and mission in partnership with a strong community of students, staff, faculty, and supportive community members. Together, we will continue to foster an environment of academic excellence, innovation, and inclusivity.”
A native of Phoenix, Illinois, Dr. Ester is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, where she majored in sociology. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in education from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
