College President
Dr. Paul Carlsen joined Lakeshore College as the institution’s 4th president in 2017. Under Paul's leadership, Lakeshore has consistently been recognized as one of the top two-year colleges in the nation: Washington Monthly ranked the college #2 in the nation, Forbes ranked the college #17 in the nation, the Aspen Institute named the college a top 150 two-year college in the nation seven consecutive times, and the college won the 2024 Bellwether Award in Planning, Finance, and Governance. In 2024, Paul was invited to the White House to share how Lakeshore has become a national leader in competency-based education (CBE), and he previously presented to the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Paul has prioritized finding new revenue sources to support the college’s mission. He has led efforts to secure more than $32,000,000 in competitive grant awards since taking office, including the three largest competitive grant awards in college history and the college’s first four grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Paul cultivated a $1,000,000 donation to the college’s foundation in 2022, secured a $2,500,000 scholarship pledge in 2024, and has more than doubled foundation assets since taking office.
In 2020, Paul was one of 25 community college leaders selected by the Aspen Institute for the inaugural cohort of their New President Fellowship, a multifaceted program to help community college presidents accelerate transformational change on behalf of students.
Paul works diligently to ensure Lakeshore is part of the regional, state-wide, and national higher education dialogue. In 2024, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges, representing over 1,100 two-year colleges. In 2023, he was elected Chair for the Wisconsin Technical College System President’s Association as well as Chair of the Northeast Wisconsin Education Resource Alliance which represents all public institutions of higher education in Northeast Wisconsin. Paul is active on a variety of other boards, including New North (where he is Board Secretary), Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (where he serves on the executive committee), HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, Froedtert Holy Family Board, and the Kohler School District (where he is Chair).
Prior to joining Lakeshore, Paul served in a variety of leadership roles at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and was an adjunct instructor of American Government at River Parishes Community College. Before working in higher education, Paul worked in statewide economic development in Louisiana under Governor Bobby Jindal and in South Carolina under Governor Nikki Haley.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado, a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Denver, and a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Georgia. His peer-reviewed research has been published in Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, the Southern Economic Journal, and the Journal of Early American History.
Paul and his wife, Christina, are the proud parents of two young daughters. Paul’s family enjoys traveling, watching cartoons, sledding, and new adventures.
Contact President Carlsen:
Lakeshore College
1290 North Avenue
Cleveland, WI 53015
Phone: 920.693.1000
