Since her July 1 start date as president of Governors State University, Joyce Ester says she has been busy meeting with campus community members and embracing change in the south suburbs.

Ester, originally from Phoenix and a graduate of Thornridge High School in Dolton, recently moved back to the region after ending her tenure as president of Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota.

“This area is very different physically than when I left almost 20 years ago,” Ester said. “When I was a young girl in this community, there wasn’t a lot out here. Seeing new stores and new developments and new businesses that weren’t here when I was a child — it’s really nice to be able to see that and see the pride that people have in this institution.”

Rather than identifying challenges she will face as Governors State’s new leader, Ester focused on the positive and said she is looking for opportunities for the institution to grow. She is the university’s seventh president, filling the position of Cheryl Green, who died a month after she retired March 1.

A search committee, including university trustees, students and faculty, chose Ester from a pool of 62 candidates, the college said in announcing her appointment.

Board President Jim Kvedaras said Ester was the “clear preferred candidate” and said he is excited about her commitment to improving the university’s reputation and expanding its student population amid uncertainties about higher education funding under President Donald Trump.

“We can’t just sit there and wait to see what’s going to happen,” Kvedaras said. “We’ve got to continue to try to grow.”

Ester said she is impressed by Governors State’s history of doing a lot with a little, and said as president she hopes to “do more with more.”“We are a small institution, but I believe that we have an opportunity to really cast a wide shadow or net throughout the region,” Ester said. “I’m really looking forward to being the big cheerleader for the institution and the good work that’s happening here.”

Faculty Senate President Joshua Sopiarz said he was impressed by Ester’s experience at Normandale Community College, which is the largest college and third largest institution in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

The faculty went on strike in 2023 before reaching a contract agreement with the university.

When Ester visited Governors State as a finalist for the position, Sopiarz said she relayed positive experiences working with faculty at Normandale and expressed what he believed was genuine interest in collaborating with faculty.

“I was reassured by that and heartened by it, and it makes me optimistic for the future,” Sopiarz said.

Under Ester’s leadership, Normandale saw an 18% enrollment increase among students of color between 2015-2020 and has continued to be one of the top transfer institutions in the state, according to GSU.

Ester brings more than 30 years of experience in various roles throughout academia that addressed academic and student affairs, faculty and staff governance, and financial management, according to the university.

Before joining Normandale, Ester was president for two years of Kennedy-King College, one of seven schools that comprise City Colleges of Chicago.

She holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a master of arts in education from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a bachelor of arts in sociology from Northern Illinois University, according to her biographical information.

Ester’s salary will start at $305,000, and may increase 3% each year “if her performance in a year supports an increase for the following year,” according to her employment agreement. Her performance, evaluated by the board, will also determine her eligibility for a $25,000 bonus each year.

Green’s salary for her last year at GSU was $350,000.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com