Keynote

Bill Blackwell Jr.

The ISD 166 Diversity Committee in partnership with Cook County Higher Education invite the public to a community session with Bill Blackwell Jr.

Social Justice Conference: Preparing Parents and the Community to Continue the Conversation

Thursday, March 8, 2018

6:30 PM

Arrowhead Center for the Arts

Bill Blackwell, Jr., a member of the Grand Portage Band of a Lake Superior Chippewa and Cook County High School graduate, has been executive director of the American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University since 2015.

He has helped the center develop a broad range of programming and support services which have had a dramatic impact on BSU’s retention rate for American Indian students— which in his two years as executive director has increased to nearly 84 percent.

With Blackwell’s leadership, Bemidji State has developed an unprecedented series of dual-enrollment agreements with Fond du Lac, Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth tribal colleges, granting students at those four colleges automatic admission into BSU after meeting certain requirements. In 2016, he helped launch a successful pilot program to deliver a BSU criminal justice course to students at Red Lake Nation College using a high-definition video conferencing system installed at both campuses.

In addition, his vision of the American Indian Resource Center as a second home for the university’s native students has transformed the space. As director, Blackwell has commissioned work from native artists to fill the center with art meant to maintain the students’ connection with their culture and encourage their academic success. His keen focus on student success also has led to the creation of evening support groups for single parents and other activities to serve students outside of the classroom.

Blackwell, who earned his bachelor’s degree at Bemidji State before earning a master’s degree in tribal administration and governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth, returned to his alma mater after spending three years at Leech Lake Tribal College, where he served as the college’s director of institutional advancement. In that role, he directed the institution’s private and public fundraising activities, which included capital campaigns, planned giving, major gifts and annual gift programs. He also managed the college’s grant writing and reporting efforts and its marketing and public relations activities.

Before overseeing the college’s advancement efforts, he was an admissions and outreach coordinator. He implemented outreach activities and helped Leech Lake Tribal College to an 11-percent increase in student retention. He also managed a project to revamp the college’s marketing and electronic communication materials.

He spent several years in retail management before moving into college administration.

The MLK Commitment to Service Award is the second significant honor for Blackwell in recent months. He received the Distinguished Diversity Leadership Award from the Minnesota State colleges and university’s Academic and Student Affairs division in October.