Frances Pao-Han Kao

Two women have been appointed to the Governors State University Board of Trustees.

Frances Pao-Han Kao and Judith Mitchell will join the board, if they get confirmation from the Illinois Senate.

Pao-Han Kao has more than three decades of experience in international arbitration, commercial disputes and private mediation. She serves as an independent arbitrator and mediator, acting as a neutral party in private mediation and arbitration cases, with a focus on franchising issues and real estate disputes. In addition to her work in dispute resolution, she serves on the Board of Directors for City Club of Chicago. Pao-Han Kao earned a Bachelor of Special Studies degree in history from Cornell College and a Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Mitchell served as interim president of Joliet Junior College in 2016 before being unanimously appointed as the college’s ninth president. As president, Mitchell was a national presenter at the 2021 American Association of Community College’s Future Leaders Institute, where she focused on bridging the equity gap in community colleges. Additionally, she founded Judy Mitchell Consulting, a consulting firm dedicated to supporting community colleges.

Judith Mitchell

Previously, she held roles as vice president of administrative services, treasurer, and director of business and auxiliary services at Joliet Junior College. Mitchell earned associate degrees in microcomputers for business and computer programming from Joliet Junior College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and technology and a Master of Business Administration degree from Governors State University, and a Doctor of Education degree from National-Louis University.