Saint Martin’s University names first woman to be its next president

OLYMPIA — Saint Martin’s University announced Wednesday that Jennifer Bonds-Raacke will be the first woman to serve as its president.

Unanimously supported by the Board of Trustees following a nationwide search, Bonds-Raacke will assume the leadership role on July 1, upon the retirement of President Roy Heynderickx, according to a news release.

She is the 11th president in the 127-year history of the Catholic Benedictine school.

“I am honored to have been selected as the next president of Saint Martin’s University,” she said in a statement. “As a first-generation college student, I know how a college education can transform your entire life.”

She currently is provost and vice president for academic affairs at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. Before that, she was at Fort Hays State University in Kansas where she was the dean of the graduate school and Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Projects.

Bonds-Raacke earned her doctorate and master’s degree in experimental psychology from Kansas State University and her undergraduate degree from Christian Brothers University in Memphis.

“We see in Dr. Bonds-Raacke a person who listens attentively and respectfully, responds thoughtfully, and is capable of unifying all in a common purpose,” said Abbot Marion Nguyen, chancellor of the university. “With joy, we welcome Dr. Bonds-Raacke to our home, soon to be her home.”