McCalla honored

Central Lakes College Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kelly B. McCalla, has been selected as the 2011-2012 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Outstanding Academic and Student Affairs Administrator.  The award recognizes an administrator at one of the system’s 31 colleges and universities spread across 54 campuses statewide.   The recipient is selected by peer campus and system administrators based on a series of criteria including innovation, leadership and effectiveness.

In conferring the award, Dr. Douglas Knowlton, MnSCU vice-chancellor for academic and student affairs, praised McCalla as “a dedicated leader who adapts and responds in ways that preserves the integrity of students and staff alike as they work together to resolve concerns and provide the measure of quality of services that students expect.” McCalla is a 1983 graduate of Central Lakes College.  After completing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English at Bemidji State University he returned to the CLC in 1989 where he has held multiple positions including Tutorial Center coordinator, English instructor, football coach, and outreach coordinator, before becoming the dean in 2008.  He was selected at the Teacher of the Year at CLC in 1995 and has lead travel study trips to five different countries. In addition to his work at CLC, McCalla serves as the chair of the Crosby-Ironton School Board.  He is a 1981 C-I graduate who is active in the Cuyuna Lakes Blandin Leadership Cohort and youth sports where he helps coach.  His wife Celeste and their two children, both of whom attend Cuyuna Range Elementary School, reside in Deerwood.