Chris Caldwell

President of College of Menominee Nation and Director of Sustainable Development Institute, Chris Caldwell will deliver the Science & Research Presentation of the Summit Kickoff Session on October 2, at 11:00am central time.

Chris Caldwell is currently the Interim President at the College of Menominee Nation. Caldwell, a graduate of the College and enrolled member of the Menominee Tribe, had served as Director of CMN’s Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) for the past eight years. Caldwell began his academic journey in higher education with an Associate Degree in Sustainable Development from CMN. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Environment and Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Nelson Institute, and also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources from UW-Madison and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and Policy from UW-Green Bay.

Prior to his leadership role at SDI, Caldwell worked from 2005 until 2012 as Tribal Resources Director/Compliance and Enforcement Officer for the Menominee Tribe. His earlier career included positions as a forest products technician with the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory in Madison; student and intern with the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs-NCCE; and timber marker/forestry technician with Menominee Tribal Enterprises.

In the scholarly arena, Caldwell has done academic and applied research and publications on topics including forest ecology, climate change, and the Menominee theoretical model of sustainability. His participation with advisory boards and committees and leadership in planning numerous programs, conferences, and workshops has delivered learning on these same topics to students, tribal communities, and the general public.

Earlier this year Caldwell and a Michigan State University colleague were awarded MSU’s Community Engagement Scholarship Award and the University’s Distinguished Partnership Award for Community-Engaged Research.

Caldwell is the fourth person to lead CMN since its inception in January 1993 under the leadership of Dr. Verna Fowler. The College is an accredited baccalaureate-level institution chartered by the Menominee People. Alumni number more than 1,200 individuals holding CMN academic degrees and technical diplomas. More than 40 percent of all graduates are enrolled or descendant Menominee and 70 percent in total are affiliated with American Indian tribes.