Lakeland Mirror

Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: News

Ken Strmiska in his office on the 4th floor of WAK.

Lakeland College has hired Ken Strmiska as the new vice president for advancement.

The VP for Advancement secures funds for the college from donors through intensive fundraisers and helps assure that Lakeland students can receive scholarships. The VP also creates personal relationships with donors.

Strmiska has a very eclectic educational background. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Wisconsin Madison for Music Performance. His master's degree is in Business and Arts Administration. Strmiska finished his doctorate in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina State University.

Strmiska was previously the president of the Green Bay Community Foundation. One of this foundations many roles is to manage charitable assets for families, trying to keep assets that can benefit the Green Bay community forever.

Strmiska would also address larger issues in the community, such as problems with teenage pregnancy and providing dental care for children without dental insurance. Under his advising, the Green Bay Community Foundation was able to raise over one million dollars for mobile dental clinics.

After finishing his position with the Green Bay Community Foundation, Strmiska went to work for the National Trade Association based out of Washington D.C. called the Council on Foundations, and he headed up their Community Foundation work.

However, Washington DC was not the city for him and his wife. "I have a newfound respect for how what the federal government does affects the people on a day-to-day basis," said Strmiska. "But I also have a new knowledge… that you can't change city hall, that things are so entrenched… so many people get caught up in the game of politics."

When he decided to move back to Green Bay late last year, he found out about the position offered by Lakeland College.

"There's something about the position description that just caught my attention," said Strmiska. "I don't really know what it was. It talked about leadership on the campus, and I do know the rural setting well… I've had a fascination for small liberal arts colleges for some time."

Strmiska checked with someone about the position description. He was curious about the dedication Lakeland has to students and the mission of Lakeland.

"When I talked to a person [mentioned above] to confirm what Dr. Gould was saying, he said, 'He's not selling you, Ken; this is the way Lakeland really is. It's not pretentious, and it's really quiet about itself.'"

Continued...

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