NOV 20, 2012 PROGRAM:
Taking Action on College Affordability

Posted by Sherry Howe

on Nov 13, 2012

Thirty or so years ago, college students could complete their education with very small amounts of debt and enter the workforce ready to make progress building their financial security. For many reasons, the relative cost of college tuition in America has risen much faster than general inflation, and public policy has contributed to greater reliance on student loans to fund college. Recognizing that college costs present a very significant barrier to achieving personal and career success, Concordia University, St. Paul’s Board of Regents has made a bold commitment to affordability.

Concordia University President Tom Ries has a background in ministry, business, and higher education, and a personal mission statement: "To bring leadership expertise to organizations which honor Jesus Christ." He has served as a pastor of two congregations in Minnesota, and as Assistant to the President and Vice-President for Finance and Operations at Concordia University St. Paul. From 2004 to 2011, Tom was President of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Foundation, an organization dedicated to gift planning. In 2011, he returned to Concordia as the University’s ninth President. Tom earned the M. Div. degree at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and M.B.A. at the University of Minnesota, and is currently a PhD candidate in Higher Education Administration at the University of Minnesota. Tom’s wife Susie is owner of Susie Ries Interiors, a Minnesota-based interior design firm. They have three daughters: Elizabeth, Katie, married to Adam, and Jenny.