This post was originally published on this site.
Columbia College Chicago has appointed Dr. Shantay N. Bolton as its eleventh president and chief executive officer, marking a historic milestone for the 135-year-old institution.
Bolton, who will officially begin her tenure on July 1, becomes the first woman to lead the creative arts-focused college in nearly 90 years and the first woman of color in the institution’s history to serve as president.
“President-designate Bolton has been a transformational leader in higher education and has been recognized as an effective organizational strategist in every institution she has served,” said John M. Holmes, chair of the Columbia College Chicago board of trustees. “The board believes Dr. Bolton is the right leader to propel Columbia forward and to enhance our status as a national and international leader in helping young creatives of all backgrounds launch their careers, and in fueling the creative economy.”
Bolton comes to Columbia from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she serves as executive vice president of administration and finance and chief business officer. At Georgia Tech, she managed a $3.1 billion enterprise, oversaw the activation of more than $500 million in capital projects, and launched an Office of Equal Opportunity, Compliance and Conflict Management.
Her appointment carries particular significance at Columbia, where more than half of the students are first-generation college-goers and one in five is a Chicago Public Schools graduate.
“As a proud first-generation college student myself, I understand the fundamental transformational power of institutions like Columbia, where students of all backgrounds start their creative careers,” Bolton said.
Bolton’s selection aligns with trends in higher education leadership where institutions are increasingly seeking executives with strong financial management backgrounds amid challenging enrollment and funding environments. At Georgia Tech, she led the rollout of a new hybrid budget model and served as a board member of several organizations, including the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).
Prior to Georgia Tech, Bolton held administrative positions at Washington University in St. Louis, Tuskegee University, and Tulane University in New Orleans, where she established two leadership institutes to support faculty and staff development.
Columbia College Chicago, known for its creative arts programs, reports strong employment outcomes for its graduates, with 96 percent employed within a year of graduation and 75 percent working in creative careers. The college cites Disney, Apple, Warner Brothers, NBC, and CBS as the top five creative employers of its alumni.
“Columbia has been an educational and cultural anchor in Chicago for 135 years,” 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.”