CMC announces sole candidate for new president
Colorado Mountain College/Courtesy Photo
The Colorado Mountain College Board of Trustees named Matt Gianneschi as the sole finalist for CMC’s next president and chief executive officer on April 15, according to a CMC news release.
Gianneschi was selected as part of the board’s internal search and previously served as the college’s chief operating officer, during which he worked alongside current president Carrie Besnette Hauser for 10 years, according to the release.
Board President Peg Portscheller told the Post Independent in March that the board of trustees would begin their search with an internal-only application, after which they would consider extending to an external search depending on the level of interest from candidates within the college.
“Because Carrie has done such a phenomenal job of building the college’s reputation, recruiting and retaining such amazing people, we’re starting with an internal-only process,” Portscheller told the Post Independent in March. “That gives us the luxury of having the opportunity to visit with people from the inside of the organization who may not only have a deep interest in our college, but have … blood, sweat and tears in the institution.”
The position was open for internal applications from March 27-April 5. Just over a week after announcing that Hauser would be stepping down from her position, the board released a survey asking for input from CMC employees, students and community members. The survey was released in both English and Spanish and received roughly 400 respondents, according to the release.
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“Trustees interviewed Gianneschi on Monday, April 15, during an executive session, and then, after careful deliberation and discussion, voted unanimously to appoint him as the sole finalist for the position,” the release stated.
The board will formally appoint Gianneschi to the role during their April 29 board meeting, though the board said they still need to solidify the details of the presidential transition.
Portscheller stated that Gianneschi’s major accomplishments within the college are a large part of what makes him prepared and qualified for the role of college president. His work within the college has included developing the newly launched Mountain Futures strategic plan, helping to double their Hispanic and Latino enrollment from 15% to 30% since 2014, expanding concurrent enrollment offerings in local high schools, and his work “authoring legislation and policies enabling the college to launch programs like Fund Sueños—which supports DACA and undocumented students—stabilize funding for CMC and support rural K-12 teachers to help them afford to teach in the college’s mountain communities,” according to the release.
“We believe that CMC’s students, faculty, staff and communities will be best served by having Dr. Gianneschi execute the strategic plan that he so carefully helped draft with faculty, staff, student and community input,” Portscheller said in the release.
On March 19, CMC President Carrie Besnette Hauser announced that she would be stepping down from her position in August. Hauser is the longest-serving president in Colorado Mountain College history, having completed 10 years in 2023. She herself was an external hire, and has yet to announce her next professional steps.
“Dr. Gianneschi has spent his entire life preparing for this role,” Hauser said in the release. “Speaking from experience, it’s an incredibly demanding and meaningful job, one that requires boundless energy and a passion for our students and these communities. The board could not have chosen a more qualified person for the position.”
“I am honored and humbled by the Trustees’ decision to offer this very special position to me,” Gianneschi said in the release. “I care deeply about our students, faculty, staff and the mountain communities we serve. And, while the president is only one person, after ten years leading the college’s operations in a principled, collaborative and transparent manner, I believe that I understand how to guide CMC toward achieving its strategic commitments to equity, care, innovation and integrity.”
