EDWARDS - Colorado Mountain College trustees unanimously picked Des Moines, Iowa, resident Stan Jensen as their choice for the college's next president on Monday. Trustees looked beyond the traditional presidential track in selecting Jensen, a consultant who specializes in community colleges.
Trustees have yet to present its formal offer to Jensen, but he said he was confident they would reach an agreement. Jensen runs Leadership Enterprises Inc., with his wife, Teresa.
"We're very excited," he said. "We look forward to coming out there and serving the college as president."
Jensen was selected from among five finalists, which were later narrowed down to two. After about two hours in a closed-door session, trustees chose Jensen over Joe Forrester, president of the Community College of Beaver County in Monaco, Pa., and CMC's former Timberline campus dean and interim Vail/Eagle campus dean.
Jensen was also the unanimous choice of a committee of trustees and staff who visited Forrester's campus and North Essex Community College outside Boston, where Jensen had worked as a consultant.
"He will be a good and balanced ambassador for Colorado Mountain College in our communities and throughout the state," said Nancy Genova, Roaring Fork campus dean who was part of the visiting team. "I really believe we will truly be impressed with his leadership."
Genova said many faculty and staffers were impressed by Jensen when he visited the campus for interviews in January. Many were also supportive of another former CMC administrator who made the top five candidates, David Borofsky, president of Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Wash., a former dean and vice president at CMC, she said. But Genova said she thought the staff would be pleased with the board's decision.
"They just saw in him someone who can take CMC to the next level," she said.
A 20-year consultant, Jensen served 10 years as executive director of Rural Schools of Iowa Inc., where he served as lobbyist and a representative to the governor on educational issues. He also served three years as dean of student services at Faith Baptist Bible College and Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa, and two years as student services resident director at Cornerstone University in Michigan.
He became attracted to CMC after serving as a leadership consultant there two years ago, he said.
"Certainly the college is an excellent college and one we would fit in well with and one we would enjoy serving," he said.
His selection follows a process that trustees sought to make transparent. Candidates were reviewed by a steering committee and a college council of faculty and staff. The top five finalists met in sessions with staffers and the public. Their appearances were recorded and portions were available for viewing on the college's Web site. Staffers could also use the site to weigh in with their opinions.
"I think the board has demonstrated that they truly have been open to what the recommendations were," said outgoing president Bob Spuhler.
Officials said one of the board's top candidates was rejected after weighing faculty feedback. They said Jensen scored well among the various committees, but trustee President Doris Dewton said they were not allowed to say exactly how the individual candidates scored.
"He is a bit nontraditional, coming from consulting," Dewton said. "But his nontraditional background is all about community colleges."
Executive Vice President Lin Stickler also visited the two colleges and said she was impressed by Jensen.
"He doesn't come from the traditional path to a college presidency, but his skills, his broad knowledge of community college issues are unbelievable," she said.
The next president is expected to take office July 1, replacing Spuhler who has been with the college since 1988 and served as president since 2002. Spuhler took over from Cynthia Heelan, who retired under board criticism. He announced his plans to retire a year ago.
Among the top issues the next president will face are a growing need for occupational training, Spuhler said. The gas industry has worked with CMC for more training for its workers, but nursing will also likely be a growing field, he said. The college also trains ski, culinary and hospitality workers.
But the college also presents some unusual challenges. Spread out at campuses from Rifle to Chaffee County, it has a range of students, from traditional liberal arts students to vocational students to adults and seniors looking for further education.
That makes communication among the campuses especially difficult, Spuhler said.
"You're looking at a district that's not just geographically spread out. You're looking at different cultures," he said. "When you look at a town like Leadville and go across Independence Pass, assuming you can get across the pass, to Aspen, you're talking about two communities with very different needs."
dfrey@aspendailynews.com