‘It’s good to be in Crookston’

Reflections of Mary Holz-Clause, new chancellor of the University of Minnesota Crookston

In June, Mary Holz-Clause took office as the new chancellor of the University of Minnesota Crookston.

Holz-Clause grew up on an Iowa farm and then earned a B.S. in agriculture business, a Master of Public Administration and a Ph.D. in agriculture education and extension at Iowa State University.

She worked at ISU for 25 years, “helping ISU Extension become a dynamic engagement and outreach partner across Iowa, the U.S. and the world,” UMC reports.

“She led international trade missions for the Iowa Department of Economic Development and served as vice president for economic development at the University of Connecticut.

“She served as the dean of the Huntley College of Agriculture and as a tenured professor in the Department of Agricultural Business Management and Agriculture Science at California State Polytechnic (Cal Poly) University Pomona. … She also was appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to serve on the California Department of Food and Agriculture Advisory Board, the primary advisory board for the $100 billion agriculture industry in California.”

Q. A.

Holz-Clause chancellor

YOUR EDUCATION AND CAREER HAVE TAKEN YOU FROM COAST TO COAST, WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON RURAL AMERICA. WHAT’S YOUR SENSE OF HOW NORTHWEST MINNESOTA FITS INTO THAT PICTURE?

Northwest Minnesota is the essence of rural America – good, honest people with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Many of the businesses in rural communities have an agricultural genesis. Building upon that heritage, we are educating entrepreneurs with sound business skills and practices to put their ideas into reality. We are going to bring the community together to explore ways to nurture the great ideas and talents of our students and to bring the students together with mentors and individuals who have been successful in business.

These partnerships can create a kind of synergy that leads to beneficial results.