By Shay Lelonek / News Director

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Gregory Tomso has been announced as St. Cloud State University’s 26th president. 

Chancellor Scott Olson made his appointment at the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Tomso will start at SCSU on January 1, 2026, following Interim President Larry Dietz’s departure. 

“I believe that this leader is going to bring the campus and the community to new heights,” Chancellor Olson said during the meeting. “Dr. Tomso has the vision, experience, and leadership skills to lead St. Cloud State into a bright future.” 

Tomso was selected among four finalists for the position. Other candidates included Lisa Foss, Rodney Hanley, and Matt Cecil.

Tomso has extensive experience in higher education, dating back to 2001. 

Previously, he served as Vice President of Affairs at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Before that, he was the director of the Kugelman Honors Program at the University of West Florida from 2017 to 2021. 

He also served as an associate professor of English, associate director of the Kugelman Honors Program, and assistant professor of English starting in 2004 at the University of West Florida. 

Before that, Tomso was an assistant professor of English at Ithaca College, New York, between 2001 and 2004.