DECATUR, Ill. – When Dr. Kathy Gardner Thomforde became the Chair of Millikin University’s Board of Trustees on July 1, 2025, it was a historic moment, as she became the first female Chair of the Board in Millikin’s history. It was also a triumphant moment in Thomforde’s unique career spent in higher education.
Originally from Bloomington-Normal, Thomforde graduated from Millikin in 1978 and went on to earn her PhD in Marketing from Northwestern University. She taught briefly at the University of Minnesota and then spent more than two decades at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., before joining her husband, Dr. Chris Thomforde, in relocating to Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pa., when he became its President. She led numerous administrative initiatives while at Moravian, as well as joining and volunteering on several boards, including Millikin’s, where she has served since 2018.
“For me, I feel like this is the perfect capstone for a life in higher education, and if I were to be able to have a positive impact to the extent that I can on Millikin, an institution that I love so dearly, that would be a great thing,” Thomforde said. “I have the experience of a faculty member, an administrator, a presidential spouse, so I've seen it all. I believe that my career to date has prepared me to assess the situation facing Millikin currently and lead us forward. I'm inspired to be able to create some positive energy along with (Millikin’s new President) Dr. Dean Pribbenow as we're both starting at the same time.”
Thomforde takes over as Chair from Ron Branch ’81, who has led the Board since 2023. Thomforde commends Branch for his leadership and dedication to Millikin during a challenging two years, which saw Branch step into the role of Acting President briefly following the resignation of President Dr. Jim Reynolds in March.
“Talk about being a leader at a challenging time. Ron has served as Board Chair, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee, and Acting President,” Thomforde said. “Ron has had immense responsibility placed upon his shoulders, and he has acted with grace, compassion, and stability.”
Stepping into Thomforde’s role as Vice Chair of the Board is Case McGee, a Millikin graduate from the Class of 1998, who earned an MBA in 2004 and currently serves as the Executive Director of Global Talent Acquisition and Executive Talent Search at the Boeing Company.
“I have so much respect for Case: he is an outstanding person with many gifts, keen insight, and a good heart. He is entering his seventh year on the Board, and from the first time I met him, we clicked,” Thomforde said. “I think we are a good counterpoint to each other, and we bounce ideas off each other. He's a sounding board for me, and he's not afraid to be honest with me. I'm looking forward to working with Case.”
Thomforde served on the Presidential Search Committee that interviewed candidates to be Millikin’s 17th President and is excited to welcome Pribbenow as Millikin’s next President.
“I'm excited to be working with someone like Dean Pribbenow, who is a servant leader and believes that leadership is a calling,” Thomforde said. “I know that Dean and his wife, Dr. Kris Mickelson, thought about the presidency and considered what it would mean in terms of their lives. They are a team, and this is something that they have been very intentional about. They are committed fully and wholeheartedly to Millikin and the presidency.”
Thomforde’s experience as a Big Blue student continues to inspire her as she now leads the Board of Trustees. As a transfer student, she was initially interested in the natural sciences before finding a passion for Marketing after receiving guidance from Professor of Biology, Dr. Norm Jensen. Decades later, Thomforde met Jensen again at an alumni awards dinner and they still shared that faculty-student connection that is essential to the Millikin experience.
“That first conversation with Dr. Jensen happened about 1976, and when I saw him again, I said to him that he probably doesn’t remember me, but he provided a turning point in my life by encouraging me to explore my options, and I will forever be grateful to him for that. He started to cry, and I started to cry. We embraced, and that’s Millikin,” Thomforde said. “When I see students walk across that stage at Commencement, they've had that same experience, that same transformation. We help young people find their path and prepare them for meaningful personal and professional lives.
“I know being Chair of the Board will be a challenge, and higher education is in a challenging environment currently, but Millikin is worth it. Millikin is worth it because of what Millikin was for me, because of what Millikin is for students today, because of what Millikin is for Decatur.”
