UM president keynoting Bear Paw Development meeting

Press release 

Bear Paw Development Corp. announced today that Seth Bodnar, president of the University of Montana, will serve as the keynote speaker for the organization’s Annual Meeting, slated for Thursday, Feb. 22.

Bodnar was approved as the 19th President of the University by the Montana Board of Regents in November of 2017 and began his term in January of this year. The theme of Bodnar’s presentation will be “The Role of Today’s University in Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.” 

“As we celebrate the good work in which we were engaged last year as Montana’s longest-serving Economic Development District, it’s appropriate to hear from one of our state’s newest and most dynamic leaders in higher education, and the role that Montana’s colleges and universities play in developing our economy, including our workforce,” said Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development. “It’s exciting that President Bodnar, in this early part of his tenure at UM, will be visiting the Hi-Line and discussing his priorities and the interface between higher education and the economic health of our Main Streets, especially in rural Montana.”    

Bodnar is a graduate of West Point, a Rhodes and Truman scholar, and earned two masters degrees from the University of Oxford. He served as an assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point, and continues to serve as an Army Reserve officer. His military career includes serving in the 101st Airborne Division and the US Army’s First Special Forces Group. As a Green Beret, Bodnar served as a special assistant to the Commanding General in Iraq, received numerous awards and was promoted early to the rank of Major. 

  Prior to being appointed president of the University of Montana, Bodnar was a senior executive at the General Electric Company, served as president of GE Transportation’s Digital Solutions business, and was GE Transportation’s first-ever chief digital officer. He has been an invited speaker to the United States Congress on technology and innovation. 

“In addition to our dynamic keynote speaker, our Annual Meeting will also celebrate very significant success stories in the communities we serve here in northern Montana, including assisting the private sector to grow and prosper, and helping local governments with their infrastructure needs,” Tuss noted. 

  The Annual Meeting will include a luncheon and will begin at noon in the Ballroom of the Student Union Building on the campus of MSU-Northern. Cost is $15 per person and reservations are required. To RSVP, contact Bear Paw Development at 265-9226 or at [email protected]/.