The next president of Northwest College has yet to be found, but they already face a rigorous review from the communities of Northwest Wyoming.
A nationwide search for what will be the ninth President of Northwest College began in December 2020. This was spurred by the announcement that previous president Stefani Hiscwa was leaving the college to become the chancellor of the University of Montana Billings.
Jan. 8 was Hicswa’s last day as president of the college. Former Vice President of Administrative Services Lisa Watson has been serving as acting president since Nov. 11, 2021.
A presidential search has been posted on the NWC website. As of Wednesday, Jan. 27, it does not include a description of the position nor any details on the application process.
NWC’s Board of Trustees wants to ensure they hear the community’s opinion on what they want and expect in a new president. To accomplish this, the board has planned a presidential profile community input session.
The first of Northwest College’s presidential profile community input sessions will be held via Zoom Thursday, Feb. 4, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Input provided during the session will be compiled and submitted to the board. This information will be used to further identify needed updates and changes as the search process begins.
A similar process, held from 2012 thru 2013, resulted in the hiring of Hicswa for her seven-year presidential term. Anyone in Park County, the Bighorn Basin, or the entire region who benefits from the success of Northwest College is encouraged to provide their feedback.
Whoever becomes the next president of the college will have many challenges to face. Already in 2021, the prospect of faces state-demanded budget cuts and laying off 12% of the college’s workforce are very real possibilities.
Even the name of the college could change under the purview of the next president.
Because of these looming prospects and potentially many others, the board wants to ensure they know the community’s priorities to find the best person for the job.
Anyone interested in participating in the community input session is asked to RVSP by visiting the presidential search page online and review the Presidential Profile Considerations from the college’s last presidential input sessions in 2012-13.
If anyone wants to give your feedback on the next president of NWC but is unable to attend the Zoom session on Fed. 4, comments can be submitted to presidentialsearch@nwc.edu.
