Ron His Horse Is Thunder (Ron McNeil), president of Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, North Dakota, will present a lecture, “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Influence,” Thursday, April 28 at 7:15 p.m. in the Hampton Room of the Malott Commons at Scripps College. As part of the Alexa Fullerton Hampton Speaker Series, “The Power of Influence,” the lecture is made possible through the generous bequest of Scripps alumna Alexa Fullerton Hampton. The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the discussion. For more information please contact (909) 607-3249.
After practicing law in South Dakota, Ron His Horse Is Thunder turned his professional expertise and interests to higher education and economic opportunities for Indian communities. He has served as president of Sitting Bull College (formerly Standing Rock College) since 1996. Under his leadership, the college earned ten-year accreditation status and added five collaborative four-year programs to the curriculum.
Understanding the link between higher education and economic development on the Standing Rock reservation, he helped establish a tribal business information center for reservation residents to receive technical assistance for
business development. He also developed the Sitting Bull College Construction Company to provide jobs for the college’s building trades vocational program graduates.
President George W. Bush has appointed him chairman of the President’s Board of Advisors on Tribal Colleges and Universities. He also serves as a board member for the American Indian College Fund, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, and the North Dakota Tribal College Association.