[LEADVILLE] – Colorado Mountain College today announced that James Y. Taylor, vice president for Colorado Mountain College in Leadville and Chaffee County, has accepted the position of executive director of Utah State University, Uintah Basin. His last day at CMC will be May 31.
“This has been a very difficult decision for me, because I care deeply about this community and the college,” said Taylor. “But this particular professional opportunity, in combination with personal and family considerations including living closer to my two daughters and parents in Utah, was too hard to turn down.”
In his new position, Taylor will oversee two campuses that have 1,900 undergraduate and graduate students. Utah State University, a Carnegie doctoral high research institution, is that state’s land-grant and space-grant university. Before joining Colorado Mountain College, Taylor was a vice president and executive campus director for Ameritech College in Salt Lake City, taught for several other colleges in the West, and was a biologist and wilderness researcher in Yellowstone National Park.
“I speak not just for myself, but for my colleagues as well, when I say that I will greatly miss James’ intelligence, collaboration and people skills, sense of humor, commitment to students, and the way he balanced what was best for our Leadville campus and Chaffee County Academic Center with what was also best for the college as a whole,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College. “Under his guidance, our partnerships with area high schools and other local organizations have blossomed, the financial health of the campus has improved and the college has thoughtfully participated in addressing both challenges and opportunities facing our communities.”
Pat Chlouber, CMC trustee for Lake County, said, “James has been a great asset to our college and our community. I have truly enjoyed working with him, and know that he will bring his thoughtful and balanced approach to his new job in Utah. We wish him the very best.”
Before launching a search process to find a successor to Dr. Taylor, President Hauser will convene a special committee to assist her in considering how to best position the campus and its next leader with long-term success. The group will conduct listening sessions with students, faculty, staff and community members in both Lake and Chaffee counties. Dates for these sessions and an interim leader will be named prior to Taylor’s departure in May. President Hauser also plans to spend additional time in Leadville and Chaffee County during the summer months to support the transition.