Title: Dr. Paul Formo Named President of ELCA's Bethany College
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
May 4, 2001
DR. PAUL FORMO NAMED PRESIDENT OF ELCA'S BETHANY COLLEGE
01-112-JB/BR*
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The board of directors at Bethany College,
Lindsborg, Kan., appointed Dr. Paul K. Formo as the school's 12th
president effective July 1. Formo is presently provost and dean at Dana
College, Blair, Neb. Bethany College and Dana College are both higher
education institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA).
Formo, 53, will succeed the Rev. Christopher M. Thomforde, who
became the president of St. Olaf College, an ELCA institution in
Northfield, Minn. Thomforde was formally installed April 29. After
Thomforde left, Dr. Mike L. Mitchell, vice president and academic dean
at Bethany College, served as interim president.
"In looking for our new president the board wanted someone who
would embrace the benefits of Bethany College and the Lindsborg
community, someone who was prepared to lead our planned capital funding
campaign, and someone who would be able to help us with the recruiting
and retention of students," said Glenn Kerbs, Dodge City, Kan., chair of
Bethany College's board. "We believe Dr. Formo meets all of those
criteria and are pleased he accepted our offer to become our next
president."
"I'm honored and privileged to be here," Formo said after he was
introduced as Bethany's next president. "I look forward with excitement
to what Bethany is and what it can be in the future. I look forward to
working at the challenges we will face."
"Many of the challenges here are similar to those we face at Dana,
and some of the strategies we have employed may be transferable," he
added.
Formo is a native of Minneapolis. Before he came to Dana College
in 1993, he served eight years as dean of the conservatory of music at
Capital University, an ELCA institution in Columbus, Ohio.
Formo earned a bachelor's degree in music at Luther College, an
ELCA institution in Decorah, Iowa. He holds a master's degree in music
and a doctorate of musical arts in conducting, both from the University
of Iowa, Iowa City.
Formo is a member of First Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation
in Blair, Neb. He and his wife, Pat, have two grown children.
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*Bud Rothgeb is director for communication and public relations at
Bethany College.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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