CMC President Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser accomplished an incredible feat early Friday morning summiting Mount Rainier with CMC faculty member Dr. Jon Kedrowski, who recently summited Mount Everest for the second time. Hauser is an avid outdoorswoman; she has summited Mount Kilimanjaro, climbed to Mount Everest base camp and is nearing completion of Colorado’s 58 highest peaks (14ers).
Colorado Mountain College names Cairns as campus vice president
Sometimes the best candidate is ‘right in your own backyard’
After an extensive national search, Colorado Mountain College has named Lake County High School Principal Ben Cairns as the next vice president and campus dean for its Leadville and Salida campuses.
Cairns will begin the transition from the high school to CMC effective August 2.
“Ben is exceptionally talented and a terrific fit to lead CMC’s Leadville and Salida campuses,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, president & CEO of Colorado Mountain College.
“He is a committed public educator and a natural leader who believes an affordable, high quality, equitable education is essential to our mountain communities, region and state.”
Cairns has been principal of Lake County High School since 2016. The Denver area native has a long career in education including time teaching in Uganda, developing a restorative justice program for Denver Public Schools and opening a public charter high school in Denver.
“I’m proud of the work I’ve done to help Lake County High School become what it is today, and I’m thrilled by the opportunity to help Colorado Mountain College continue to serve the residents of the Arkansas River Valley,” Cairns said. “I am passionate about internships, concurrent enrollment, life-long learning and the role CMC can play in the community.”
The leadership role at CMC is available after the departure of Rachel Pokrandt, who led the Leadville Campus for nearly five years. She was recently tapped for a college presidency in Oregon.
“The college evaluated a large, diverse and talented pool of applicants in its search for this important leadership role,” said Bob Hartzell, who represents Lake County on the CMC Board of Trustees. “We are grateful to Ben for his service to Lake County High School, and we look forward to the new energy he brings to the Leadville and Salida campuses.”
Salida resident David Armstrong, who serves as a liaison to the CMC Board of Trustees, agreed that Cairns is the right choice for the Salida and Poncha Springs communities, adding the longtime educator always puts his students first.
“I am confident he will be able to jump right on the train of positive progress that is happening here,” said Armstrong. “Growth and innovation will continue under his leadership.”
Lake County School District Superintendent Dr. Bethany Massey said the search for Cairns’ replacement is planned for the fall semester. As the start of the school year quickly approaches, Assistant Principal Erin Dillon will take on interim principal duties, and she will be assisted by Academic Dean Lisa Berman until a new principal is hired.
“While we are sad to see Ben go, we know he won’t be far as he starts his new role at the college,” said Massey. “In fact, this change will only further strengthen educational opportunities for students across the entire Arkansas River Valley.”
CMC Leadville and Salida campus leader accepts college president role in Oregon
After nearly ten years with Colorado Mountain College, Rachel Pokrandt, vice president and campus dean of the Leadville and Salida campuses, has accepted the role of President at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.
“This is a bittersweet moment for me because I absolutely love the Leadville and Salida communities and our amazing, dedicated faculty, staff and students,” Pokrandt said. “We have the most innovative and dedicated people at both campuses and I look forward to following their successes in the years to come. They all have students and community at the heart of everything they do and I see a bright future ahead.”
Pokrandt has been vice president and campus dean of the CMC Leadville Campus since 2016. During her tenure in Leadville, she created teams that stabilized campus finances, created partnerships in the community and raised enrollment and graduation rates. Prior to her time in Leadville, Pokrandt served CMC as the campus dean in Rifle and as an assistant dean of instruction in Edwards.
Pokrandt facilitated the college’s efforts to build partnerships in the communities of Salida and Poncha Springs, which led to citizens voting overwhelmingly to join the CMC special taxing district in 2019. The opening of the Salida Campus was historic for CMC. The college hadn’t opened a new campus in nearly 40 years.
“We are grateful for Rachel’s tireless efforts serving the communities of Salida and Poncha Springs,” said Salida resident David Armstrong, who serves as a liaison to the CMC Board of Trustees. “Thanks to Rachel’s hard work establishing CMC’s team and campus, our local high school students are now able to earn college credit through CMC, and next month we’ll celebrate our first graduating class of college students from CMC Salida. Rachel’s leadership has accelerated the impact and success of CMC in the Salida and Poncha Springs area.”
“Colorado Mountain College is the only local higher education choice for people in our mountain communities, and the college’s presence in Leadville and Salida is healthy and growing thanks to Rachel’s leadership,” said Bob Hartzell, who represents Lake County on the Colorado Mountain College Board of Trustees. “We are grateful for her hard work, and confident that she’s leaving our local campus in good hands.”
Pokrandt’s last day with CMC will be June 18th. Before launching the search for Pokrandt’s replacement, CMC President & CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser will meet with faculty and staff as well as key community stakeholders in Leadville and Salida to hear their thoughts and priorities.
“I’m tremendously optimistic about the future of the Leadville and Salida campuses thanks to the stable foundation that Rachel has helped build at both locations,” Hauser offered. “Given her many successes at CMC, it should be no surprise that she’s been recruited to lead another college. We’re happy for Rachel and we wish her the best in this new adventure.”
Colorado Mountain College names Norling as campus vice president
Jonathan “JC” Norling has been appointed as the vice president and campus dean of Colorado Mountain College Steamboat Springs, effective immediately.
Norling has been providing interim campus leadership in Steamboat Springs since Sept. 1, 2020, following the retirement of former campus vice president, Kathy Kiser-Miller.
Previously he had been the associate dean of academic affairs in Steamboat Springs and has also held leadership roles at the CMC Edwards Campus.
“Sometimes you don’t have to look far to find the right candidate,” explained Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, CMC president and CEO.
“JC is a proven leader at our Steamboat Springs campus. He showed great professionalism in his interim role as he guided faculty, staff and students through countless challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Kara Stoller, CEO of the Steamboat Springs Chamber, noted Norling’s appointment is not only a win for CMC, but a win for the Steamboat Springs community.
“Steamboat Springs is a special place because the people here understand the importance of community and collaboration along with honoring tradition and embracing innovation,” said Stoller. “JC has this same mindset, and I look forward to the chamber continuing our strong partnership with Colorado Mountain College.”
Norling added he is ready to roll up his sleeves and continue work with a fantastic group of faculty, staff and students at the Steamboat campus.
“CMC has become like a second home for me,” he said. “And I want the Steamboat Springs campus to be a shining example of the positive impact an accessible and affordable education can have on a mountain town like ours.”
Before joining the Steamboat Springs campus in 2016, Norling worked as the associate dean of academic & student services, director of campus operations and as an instructional supervisor at the Edwards campus. He taught outdoor education as an assistant professor at Lyndon State College (now Northern Vermont University) and recreation management at Utah State University.
Norling has a Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from The University of Utah. He earned his Master of Science in Education: Outdoor Recreation Management at Southern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in history from North Park University.
He is also a certified course leader with the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education and a professional member of the American Avalanche Association.
Dennis promoted to new position at CMC Salida
Colorado Mountain College recently promoted Amy Stanley to the position of assistant dean of Student Affairs at CMC Salida.
Dennis originally began her career at the college in 2016, as the site coordinator for Chaffee County. With her knowledge of the region and her background in education, she has been instrumental in the formation of the college’s newest location.
“Being a part of the establishment of the Salida campus in 2019 was an amazing experience,” she said. “I am extremely excited to work with the new team to guide and help students through the many challenges of being a college student, from high school students concurrently enrolled to the senior citizen taking a lifelong learning class.”
In her new role, Dennis supports students in accessing and successfully completing their academic goals. The assistant dean provides a unified approach to campus operations and student success and has direct oversight of disabilities services, financial aid, academic advising and counseling services.
Years in education
In Ohio, Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Youngstown State University, and a master’s in anthropology from Kent State.
“I realized I really liked working with teenagers and young adults while serving a year in AmeriCorps after college, where I worked as a mentor and academic support specialist in a middle school,” she said. She also spent two years at a private boarding high school as admissions and residence staff.
Dennis worked in student affairs in higher education for 13 years in a variety of roles in Ohio, West Virginia and Colorado. She also taught anthropology and sociology at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
“We are so excited to promote Amy to her new job at CMC Salida,” said Rachel Pokrandt, CMC vice president and campus dean of Leadville and Salida. “She’s an essential member of our campus team.”