Very Special Christmas 2011 Edition

Leave it to Carroll: even if our Saints didn't win the national football championship last Saturday, we still could deliver a mega Christmas surprise in time for the holidays, with free shipping! Your Christmas gift this holiday season is no less than a new Carroll president, who was announced this afternoon to the campus community and to the world in a press conference featuring a telephone interview with the new chief executive. Look for news stories all over the Montana media and beyond on this historic development, with video coverage of the announcement on the Carroll website at www.carroll.edu Editor's Note: QNs will be on holiday until the first week of January. We wish you, our faithful readers, a Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Peaceful 2012 as you feast your eyes on this newsletter bearing good tidings of great joy: UNDER WRAPS NO LONGER: PRESIDENTIAL PRESENT REVEALED! Carroll College is delighted to announce that the presidential search that began last spring has culminated in the selection of Dr. Thomas Evans (photo right) as the college's president, with a term to begin in June  2012. He comes to Carroll after most recently serving as associate vice president for professional education and global initiatives at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, a position he has held since 2008. In this role, he has provided key leadership in both revenue generation and initiation of St. Edward's efforts to make global education a cornerstone of St. Edward's 2015 Strategic Vision. Evans has led the university's endeavors to create ongoing study abroad programs, joint and dual degree programs, and tele-presence classes in France, Chile and Japan. "I feel honored and blessed to have the opportunity to become the next president of Carroll College," Evans says. "Strengthened by the dedication and passion of the Carroll family, the college is well positioned to draw on its rich history and past successes so that it can begin to forge a bold vision for the future that is in line with its Catholic mission. My family and I are excited to become members of both the Carroll and Helena communities. We also look forward to participating in all of the outdoor recreational opportunities that Montana has to offer.  Above all, I look forward to serving Carroll College as its president." Evans will replace Carroll Interim President Paula McNutt (photo left), who assumed this role after the retirement of Dr. Tom Trebon earlier this month. St. Edward's University is a leading Catholic institution in the West with a burgeoning campus of nearly 5,400 undergraduate and graduate students. In his 15 years at St. Edward's, Evans has held positions of increasing responsibility, including admission counselor, director of graduate admission, director of the Center for Academic Progress, and dean of Graduate and Adult Services. His work has proven pivotal in the development of the university's reputation internationally, the increase of the adult student population by 30 percent, the tripling of the graduate student population in the past decade, and the doubling of revenue from professional education programming. Recently, he led the creation of a sister-city relationship between Austin and Angers, France, where St. Edward's maintains a presence. "We had three exceptional candidates for president, but after a thorough selection process that included extensive on-campus meetings and interviews, Dr. Evans became our clear choice," says Carroll board of trustees Chair Mark Semmens (photo right), who also served on Carroll's Presidential Search Committee formed last spring. "Dr. Evans will bring us a dynamic leadership style and strong ability to engage with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Carroll. He also brings a depth of knowledge and a proven track record of accomplishment as a key member of his college's leadership team. His broad experience in everything from admissions and retention of top students to academic program development, fundraising, community relations, strategic planning and global initiatives makes him an ideal fit for the Carroll presidency." Evans received his Bachelor of Science with a major in Japanese and a minor in theology from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He received a Master of Arts degree in Asian studies and completed his Ph.D. in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin. He has also attended Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management and studied at Keio University's Center for Japanese Language and Culture in Tokyo. Conversant in both Japanese and French, Evans lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, also a graduate of Georgetown and The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School. They have two sons, Walter (age 10) and Leland (age 4).