Dr. Hara Charlier took her post as president of Central Lakes College in 2016. During her tenure, the college has experienced growth at a time when nationwide community college enrollment is falling, expanded its commitment to sustainability with solar arrays on each campus, renovated facilities to better serve students, and launched new programs to meet the region’s workforce needs. Hara considers relationships to be the foundation of any successful organization. Under her leadership, CLC employees have worked to build a strong culture of caring, focused on people and voice. From 2019 to 2022, the college was recognized as a “Great College to Work For.”

Hara has a doctorate in philosophy from Old Dominion University, a Master’s of Science in microbiology from Miami University, and a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cornell University.

Prior to joining Central Lakes College, Hara was vice president of instruction and student services at Virginia Highlands Community College. Previously, she held leadership and faculty roles at Blue Ridge Community College in Virginia. Hara lives in Nisswa, Minnesota, with her husband, Russ, and a menagerie of animals.