Fifth President of Colorado Mountain College remembered as kind-hearted and effective
Former President of Colorado Mountain College, Dr. Dennis M. Mayer, died Dec. 2, 2010, at his home in Grand Junction. Dr. Mayer was the college’s fifth president, serving from 1987 to 1993.
Dr. Mayer, known by most as “Denny,” is remembered as kind-hearted and student-focused. One of the hallmarks of his tenure was leading other senior staff to cook pancakes for students at midnight during finals week. Always accessible, many remember him visiting campuses with time to stop by and chat with front desk and other staff.
Glenwood Springs Administrative Assistant Terry Glassenapp recalls that Dr. Mayer “stopped by to say ‘hello’ whenever he came to CMC in Glenwood.” After attending one of Terry’s slideshows, Dr. Mayer invited him to share it as a motivational presentation for Central Services staff on Monday morning at 7:30. “I was real honored that he saw the value of my work,” recalls Terry. Another time, when administrative staff was being reviewed, Dr. Mayer came and “really listened to us to learn about the issues,” Terry remembers.
“What a healer he was, what a wonderful human being with such a loving spirit,” says former CMC Foundation CEO Alexandra Yajko, who led the Foundation after being chosen by Dr. Mayer for his executive team. “His legacy is that of being one of the kindest, most gentle, but certainly very capable leaders.
Dr. Mayer is credited with starting fundraising efforts through the Colorado Mountain College Foundation. “He wanted fundraising to take off. That was the genesis of where we are today,” says Alexandra who went on to direct the foundation for 20 years, raising over $33 million. “He was the one who believed that fundraising was an opportunity for us.” During the College’s first capital campaign, Dr. Mayer led the effort to secure former US President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty as honorary co-chairs of the campaign, along with Vail residents Fitzhugh and Eileen Scott. As he retired, Dr. Mayer established ongoing support for students in the form of the Mayer Family Endowed Scholarship with the Colorado Mountain College Foundation.
Alexandra also recalls Dr. Mayer’s calming presence in 1987, a difficult time for the College. “He was exactly what we needed. At the time he came to Colorado Mountain College, we were in the middle of an economic downturn. The CMC family had endured a lot as a result, and he was the leader and the healer that came and made us all feel like we could do it, and that we were going to make it.” As Dr. Mayer’s time at the helm was winding down in 1992, the North-Central Association of Colleges and Schools gave Colorado Mountain College a ten-year accreditation— it’s highest rating.
Dr. Mayer also saw to it that women were given positions of leadership, says Alexandra, recalling how he sought to have women on his executive team.
During his tenure, Dr. Mayer sought partnerships that would expand the offerings for CMC graduates, inking transfer agreements with four-year schools. An agreement in 1992, with Regis University, established local Regis offices and classes so that CMC District residents could pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Another agreement with Western State College in Gunnison, signed in Leadville, ensured transfer of occupational program credits for students who wanted to continue on to a four-year degree.
“In my view,” says longtime CMC Trustee and Board Chair Ed Hill of Steamboat, “Denny was an educator with a very strong passion for CMC certainly, for his family, for his friends and especially his students. He provided leadership capability and brought CMC together during his tenure. He will be sadly missed.”
After retirement, Dr. Mayer continued to be a strong supporter of the college, occasionally attending board meetings and helping the college celebrate special occasions such as the 40th anniversary in 2007 or the 2009 presidential inauguration in Breckenridge.
Services for Dr. Mayer will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 13 at Canyon View Vineyard Church in Grand Junction. Survivors include his wife, JoAnne C.; one son, David H. of Encino, Calif.; one daughter, Kim Chirdon of Fruita; one brother, Lyle of Denver; and four grandchildren.
Memorial contributions to Mayer Family Endowed Scholarship, in care of the Colorado Mountain College Foundation or Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado, 3090B North 12th St., Grand Junction 81506.