Cornell names Crady vice president of enrollment and dean of admission

Following a national search, Cornell College has named Thomas Crady as vice president of enrollment and dean of admission.

Crady has served as interim vice president since Oct. 8, overseeing the offices of admission, financial assistance, and marketing and communications.

“Tom brings extensive leadership experience, in particular at liberal arts colleges,” said President Jonathan Brand. “Based on his professional experiences, including in leadership roles at peer institutions, he was the clear choice of the search committee.”

Crady served Grinnell College for 25 years and was eventually promoted to vice president for student affairs, overseeing the admission and financial aid offices for seven years. He also served as the vice president for enrollment management at Gustavus Adolphus College. At Gustavus, he doubled the number of applications and enrolled some of the largest classes in the history of the school. Prior to Gustavus, Crady served as the dean of the college at Dartmouth. For the past two years, Crady has served as vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at the University of Montana where he stabilized the first-year class while generating $1.4 million in net tuition revenue for the first time in many years.

“It’s a privilege to work with such a dedicated group of faculty, staff, and students,” Crady said. “The teams in admission, financial aid, and marketing are very impressive, and I look forward to joining such a talented group of professionals.”

He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Northern Michigan University and a doctorate in Higher Education/Higher Education Administration from Iowa State University.  

Crady’s wife, Lisa Bard, is a licensed psychotherapist. They have two adult children, Peter and Scott. Peter is a principal at a computer start-up in Minneapolis, and Scott is attending college at Northern Michigan University majoring in digital media.