Thomas L. Hellie, president of Linfield College, was elected to a two-year term as chair of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Board of Directors on Jan. 4.
With over 700 institutional and organizational members, CIC is the only national higher education association that focuses solely on providing services and a broad range of initiatives directly to independent colleges and universities to help improve the quality of education and strengthen institutional resources.
Hellie, president of Linfield College for nearly 10 years, joined the CIC Board in January 2012. He served on the Awards and Investment Committees as well as the Programs Committee. He has chaired the Programs Committee since January 2014 and served in that role on the Executive Committee of the CIC Board of Directors.
“The Council is pleased to have Tom Hellie serve as chair of the Board of Directors,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “With Tom and his board colleagues’ superb guidance, CIC will continue to implement many innovative programs, projects and services.”
Hellie will help to oversee the planning and execution of CIC initiatives and operations, and will serve as spokesperson for the Council.
“I am deeply honored to be elected chair of the Board of Directors of the Council of Independent Colleges,” Hellie said. “I believe that this is, in part, a recognition of the growing prominence and quality of Linfield College. Our form of education is personalized and transformational, and the CIC helps make that possible for independent colleges everywhere.”
Hellie is Linfield’s 19th president. He has a broad background in higher education, having served as a faculty member, an academic administrator and a foundation executive. He was a tenured faculty member in theatre and English at Hiram College in Ohio. He was vice president of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest for nearly 10 years and president and executive director of the James S. Kemper Foundation in Chicago, Ill. In addition to CIC, he is also active with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities, and Northwest Athletic Council. He has a bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) in speech and theatre from Luther College, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in theatre history from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
The CIC Board of Directors consists of up to 37 members, including a maximum of 25 chief executive officers from member colleges and universities and a maximum of 12 additional members drawn principally from senior executive ranks of American business corporations, philanthropies and state fundraising consortia of independent colleges and universities.
