New VP Brings
Extensive Resume to Southeast
Winona and Red Wing, MN
(February 23, 2026) – By his own admission,
Steve McNaughton has not followed the traditional path into higher education
leadership.
Reviewing McNaughton’s
resume, the sheer breadth of his experience stands out, along with his
extensive time spent in industry.
As the new Vice
President of Strategic Initiatives at Minnesota State College Southeast,
McNaughton’s portfolio includes strategic planning, Minnesota State
initiatives, marketing and communications, workforce education, institutional
advancement including grants and partnership development and implementation of
strategic, mission‑aligned, revenue‑generating activities.
“Steve brings a wealth
of experience in business, workforce education, apprenticeship programs, and a
strong record of expanding the impact of workforce divisions,” said Southeast
President Dr. Marsha Danielson. “We are thrilled to have Steve bringing his
expertise to the leadership team here at Southeast.”
McNaughton comes to
Southeast from Gateway Technical College in Wisconsin, where he served as Dean
of Business and Transportation, and interim Dean of Manufacturing, Engineering
& Information Technology. He is a certified Project Management Professional
(PMP) and has successfully led complex change management efforts. His
background includes establishing work-based learning and apprenticeship
programs, collaborating on grant development and implementation, and serving in
both industry and higher education. McNaughton started his career in the U.S.
Air Force.
McNaughton points to his
roles as Vice President of Manufacturing for the Process Retail Group, Inc. and
Dean of Business & Workforce Solutions for providing the most relevant
experience for his new assignment.
“I’ve had the chance to
work in a variety of industries, but this position at Southeast was the
culmination of everything I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with through
the years … government, industry and education,” McNaughton said. “I’m a big
believer that things happen for a reason.”
Above all else,
McNaughton said he’s learned that “skills are transferrable across all
employment sectors, trust is paramount, and my role is to support the team and
its efforts.”
McNaughton started his
new role in late January, following a national search. He plans to spend the
first couple of months as vice president getting to know as many people as
possible and find out what he can do to assist them.
McNaughton, originally
from Waynesboro, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, moved to Mequon, Wisconsin
while growing up. He has lived in eight different states, but said the
driftless region’s scenery around Southeast is “outstanding” and reminds him of
his childhood in Virginia.
Much like his
professional experience, McNaughton has a variety of interests in his personal
life. The father of three enjoys working on cars, holds a pilot’s license, and
is a self-proclaimed “heavy DIY-er who isn’t afraid to tackle most repairs and
updates.” He and his wife Lynn also enjoy hiking and vacationing in their
travel trailer.
McNaughton earned a
master’s degree in management from Troy University, and a Bachelor of Science
in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.