Aquinas College president resigns after three years
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The president of Aquinas College has resigned, according to the school.
Alicia Cordoba put in her immediate resignation Monday, according to an letter from Aquinas College Board of Trustees Chair John Lowery that was sent to alumni and donors. Cordoba was in 2022 as the school's ninth president and the first woman to hold the position.
Aquinas College inaugurates first woman president
Aquinas did not say why Cordoba resigned. Lowery thanked her for her dedication and role in fundraising, enrollment and the focusing on the school's Catholic faith and mission.
Sister Maureen Geary, who has served on the faculty, staff and Board of Trustees, will act as interim president until a new president is chosen, the letter said.
'Sister Maureen is a true friend to our campus and a faithful presence representing the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids with our students, faculty, staff and alumni. She is both an accountant and an attorney, skill sets that will serve our community particularly well,' Lowery wrote.
Aquinas College names new president
He said a committee of representatives across the college will be formed to guide the search for president.
'While we are in transition as a College community, we have both faith and hope for a bright future,' Lowery wrote.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Religious leaders, refugees call for unity at ‘Peaceful Stand Together' gathering
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Religious leaders in Baton Rouge came together to speak about immigration. 'How can you say you love God if you don't love your neighbor that you see?' asked L.O.R.I. Communications Director Sharon Njie. That question hung in the air Tuesday as religious leaders and community members gathered for the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants' (LORI) 'Peaceful Stand Together' event — a day of storytelling, open dialogue, and reflection amid mounting global and national tensions over immigration. Held in Baton Rouge, the event brought together representatives from Christian, Catholic, Muslim, and other faith communities, who took part in a public panel discussion about the moral imperatives of their traditions in the face of current crises, including immigration raids and refugee displacement. 'Everyone needs to stand together and come together in unity and know that we need to live by the words of God: love thy neighbor as you will love yourself,' said L.O.R.I. Policy Associate Tia Fields, echoing the day's central theme of unity over division. The message resonated deeply with Njie, a migrant who fled political turmoil in her home country. 'I've lost families,' she said. 'If I look back home, all I see are graves. I came into this country with no family, but the families I have are the people standing next to me.' As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations continue in cities like Los Angeles, President Donald Trump has defended his administration's stance on immigration, pointing to national security and economic concerns. 'Very simply, we will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean and safe again,' Trump said earlier this week. 'It's happening very quickly.' But those at the Louisiana gathering offered a different vision — one grounded in empathy, justice, and inclusion. 'There are so many challenges that we face in this world,' said Fields. 'I think now is the time — more than ever — to open our doors, not close them.' Each faith leader emphasized a shared moral calling: to see the humanity in every person and to stand with the marginalized. The stories shared ranged from personal loss and migration to acts of community service and solidarity. 'And I still try to ensure that I give back to this community,' Njie said. 'Not just giving back in the work I do on a local level, but also on a national level.' For attendees, the gathering was more than an event — it was a call to action. A reminder that compassion, not fear, should guide public policy and personal conviction. Chris Olave back on the field healthy for the New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints feel hunger, not urgency to get back to winning ways Religious leaders, refugees call for unity at 'Peaceful Stand Together' gathering Amazon impacts Baton Rouge economy; pushes businesses to grow Attorneys for Kilmar Abrego Garcia argue for 'due process' in new court filing Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Amazon impacts Baton Rouge economy; pushes businesses to grow
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Amazon is fast-tracking its economic development with new jobs and training. 'Our starting wage in our facility in Baton Rouge ranges from $17.50 an hour to a little bit above that, especially for our team members who are coming on a night shift or weekend shift,' said Regional Leader and Senior Economic Development Manager at Amazon, Jessica Breaux. 'The really cool thing I think is they get benefits on their very first day in employment.' It's one of the biggest names in global commerce, but in Baton Rouge, Amazon is building more than just distribution centers. President of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, Gregory Wood, said it's building a support system for businesses to grow. 'BTR1 was the location of the old Cortana Mall, and during that time, that particular area was seeing some decline in business licenses and other businesses supporting the surrounding area,' said Wood. Although there are a lot of great businesses in the Baton Rouge area, Wood believes other businesses should take note of what Amazon is doing for their employees. 'I think what people need to understand, and look at, is what Amazon is offering their employees, and I think existing businesses need to take note of what Amazon is doing to lure employees into their workforce as well,' said Wood. Religious leaders, refugees call for unity at 'Peaceful Stand Together' gathering Amazon impacts Baton Rouge economy; pushes businesses to grow Attorneys for Kilmar Abrego Garcia argue for 'due process' in new court filing 'Immaturity': Rand Paul rips White House after being 'uninvited' from picnic White House says 330 immigrants arrested in L.A. since Friday Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man detained by ICE was already scheduled to leave, advocates say
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids immigration advocates are seeking the release of a man who they say was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement only days before he was scheduled to leave the country. Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE say Carlos Menjivar is at the Calhoun County Correctional Facility, which is an ICE holding facility. ICE did not immediately confirm that to News 8 Wednesday. The advocacy groups say Menjivar was detained June 4 when he went for what they called a 'routine check-in' at the office for the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program on Michigan Street NE near College Avenue in Grand Rapids. ISAP is an ICE program in which people are under supervision while their immigration cases make their way through the system, which can take years. Through it, contracted case managers can keep ICE agents up to date on cases and whether people are abiding by the conditions of their release, explains. '(Menjivar) was asked to come to this ISAP office with his paperwork, so his passport, and approve of them leaving (the United States). They had agreed, actually verbally agreed, with the ISAP office to departure this Saturday,' Movimiento Cosecha organizer Gema Lowe said at a Wednesday news conference. She said ISAP workers were supposed to check the paperwork and plane tickets for their return to Menjivar's native El Salvador. Instead, she said, he was 'arbitrarily' detained and ICE now has his and his family's passports. 'This family, they have been compliant to everything Immigration has asked them since they came to this country as refugees in 2017,' Lowe said. She argued that asking Menjivar to report to the ISAP office was a 'trap.' At the news conference, one of Menjivar's children held a sign that read, 'Te amamos, Papa,' or 'We love you, Dad,' in Spanish. ICE did not immediately provide answers after Target 8 sought information about Menjivar's status and details about how frequently people are detained at ISAP check-ins. GR Rapid Response to ICE organizer Jeff Smith suggested between eight and 10 people were detained at the ISAP office June 4. It was unclear how he reached that count. ICE has not provided any information. Immigration advocates went to the ISAP office that day and Grand Rapids police were called to ask them to leave. Smith said everyone who went to an ISAP appointment after the advocates arrived was allowed to leave as expected. Smith said the group is now offering to send advocates with people when they have appointments. Smith said advocates are calling for Menjivar to be released in time for the family's scheduled departure Saturday, that the passports be returned to the family for that travel and that ICE documentation note he left voluntarily. They have also asked U.S. senators and representatives to intervene. In the meantime, Menjivar's wife and three children are seeking sanctuary at Fountain Street Church, a nondenominational Christian church in downtown Grand Rapids, the advocates say. 'When the residents of our community are under attack or under threat, our doors are open to provide shelter and sanctuary,' Rev. Nathan Dannison, the pastor at Fountain Street Church, said. 'Our beliefs here at Fountain Street compel us to act.' Smith called on other Grand Rapids faith organizations to offer themselves up as sanctuaries. 'We're asking the public to see what's happening. This is the faces that they are brave enough to show and say, 'We're here,'' Lowe said. 'Even though they did they did everything they were asked to, they've still been separated. It's structural violence.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.