Leech Lake Tribal College adds two finalists in presidential search

Leech Lake Tribal College expanded its presidential search with two more finalists, Dr. Erin Stresow and Sadie Cooper, after the Board of Trustees reviewed materials from 26 applicants. The college’s next leader will oversee day-to-day operations at the Cass Lake campus and help steer a tribal institution that serves students, staff and community partners across Beltrami County and the Leech Lake Nation.

Stresow is scheduled to interview on June 2, while Cooper is set for June 3. Stresow brings experience in higher education, tribal government and business, including work with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures. Cooper already works inside the college system, where she oversees human resources and serves on the administrative team.

The search had already moved through several steps before the two additional finalists were added. The first three finalists were interviewed on March 30, March 31 and April 1. The college’s timeline says public forums began on November 12, 2025, the presidential profile was posted on November 17, 2025, and two finalists were announced on May 13. The tentative start date for the new president is July 1.

Leech Lake Tribal College said the finalist visits include meetings with faculty, students, community members and leadership, along with public forums at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. No RSVP is required. Anonymous survey feedback will also be used to help inform the Board of Trustees’ decision, adding another layer of input to a process that has stretched over months.

The president’s job reaches beyond campus administration. According to the college’s search materials, the president serves as chief executive officer, has responsibility for the college’s total operation, works in partnership with the Board of Trustees and is expected to reside within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. That mix of executive authority and community accountability gives the appointment outsized importance for a relatively small college.

Leech Lake Tribal College was established by tribal resolution in July 1990, became a land-grant institution in 1994 and received full Higher Learning Commission accreditation on September 26, 2006. The college says its signature programs focus on Indigenous Sciences and Technology, Education, Indigenous Leadership and Ojibwemowin. Its history page says the school has about 50 faculty, staff and administrators and about 150 to 200 students, most from the Leech Lake Reservation. Another college feature said enrollment has been about 350 students and that the school has celebrated more than 525 graduates.

Sadie Cooper’s background ties directly to that mission. She graduated from Leech Lake Tribal College in 2018 with salutatorian honors and later worked for the Leech Lake Regulatory Division while completing a bachelor’s degree at Bemidji State University. Jennifer Cross, who has served on the Board of Trustees since 2017, is part of the panel making the final choice, a decision that will shape the college’s leadership heading into the next academic year.