Dr. Jade Herman, Chief of Staff at Mines, Accepted to Prestigious Millennium Leadership Initiative

Jade Herman, Ed.D., South Dakota Mines chief of staff, has been accepted into the 2023- 2024 cohort of the Millennium Leadership Initiative hosted by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

According to AASCU, the Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI) was launched in 1999 as a premier leadership development program designed to diversify and enrich the American college presidency. The year-long initiative is rooted in preparing higher education leaders from traditionally underrepresented communities with the skills, philosophical overview and networks necessary to advance to the highest ranks of postsecondary education. Through its rich network of faculty, alumni and other key campus leaders, MLI connects aspiring presidents and chancellors to the expertise, experiences and resources required to thrive. Participants receive a realistic look at what the role of a president entails, including navigating the current landscape of political polarization, inequities and funding shortfalls.

Since MLI's inception, nearly 700 individuals have completed the program, with 153 going on to become university presidents or chancellors and 40 serving multiple presidencies or chancellorships.

Herman is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and grew up in Mission, SD. She graduated from South Dakota Mines in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary sciences. She also earned a master's degree in administrative studies with a specialization in organizational leadership from the University of South Dakota, and doctor of education degree in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University. In 2011, she returned to South Dakota Mines as a staff member and held various public relations positions before transitioning to the Office of the President in 2016. She was named the university's first ever chief of staff in the fall of 2021 and now serves on the executive leadership team. Additionally, Herman is a member of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation board, where she sits on the museum/cultural affairs and development committees and serves as vice chair of the education committee. She also serves as secretary and marketing committee chair of the Rapid City Summer Nights board and is an alumni volunteer for the Native Forward Scholars Fund.

“We're incredibly fortunate to have high caliber leaders on campus like Dr. Herman,” says Mines President Jim Rankin, Ph.D., P.E. “Her expertise and long history of service on this campus, from her time as a student to her role on executive leadership team today, make her indispensable. I'm pleased to see AASCU is recognizing her future potential by adding her to the next cohort of the MLI.”

Read more in this press release from AASCU.