Columbia College Chicago announced Monday the appointment of Shantay N. Bolton as president of the school, beginning July 1.
The former executive vice president and chief business officer at Georgia Institute of Technology will be the first woman of color to lead the school, and the first woman in nearly 90 years, Columbia said in a statement.
Bolton replaces Kwang-Wu Kim, who stepped down last summer after serving as president since 2013. A search for a new president and CEO had been underway since then, with Jerry Tarrer serving as interim president following Kim’s resignation.
Bolton comes to the school at a time when it’s facing a $17 million deficit and declining student enrollment. The school also announced plans in December to cut 11 undergraduate and graduate programs and eliminate up to 25 faculty positions next academic year.
Columbia College board of trustees President John Holmes said Bolton has been a “transformational leader in higher education” and believes she’s the right leader to “propel Columbia forward.”
At Georgia Tech, Bolton managed a $3.1 billion organization and led the rollout of Georgia Tech’s new hybrid budget model, overseeing over $500 million in recent capital projects, according to a news release from Columbia College.
Named to Gambit’s “40 Under 40” in New Orleans, Bolton was also among the “Titan 100” for both the St. Louis and Georgia regions.
“Columbia has been an educational and cultural anchor in Chicago for 135 years, and it is an honor to join Columbia’s expert community of faculty, staff and the talented young creatives who call Columbia home,” Bolton said. “I plan to build on Columbia’s unique creative culture and strengthen connections to industry and the civic community at a time when creativity is widely viewed by employers as one of the most sought-after skills.”
