NAMPA, Idaho — Gordon Jones will officially become the third president of the College of Western Idaho on Monday.
The CWI Board of Trustees voted unanimously in December to offer the presidency to Jones, who will succeed Bert Glandon, who retired in May of 2021.
Jones has been at Boise State University since 2015, when he became the founding dean of the College of Innovation and Design. Before coming to Idaho, he served as Evans Family Foundation managing director for the Harvard Innovation Lab. Jones has more than five years of teaching experience in design thinking, business, and leadership at several colleges.
Jones holds an MBA from the Stanford University School of Business, and has held executive positions with several international and U.S.-based companies, focusing on innovation, marketing, and sales growth.
Jones was one of four finalists invited to CWI's Nampa campus for interviews in mid-November. Seventy people applied for the president's job.
"I'm thrilled to serve students and brighten the future of our communities as the next president of CWI. As growth in the Treasure Valley continues to accelerate, I'm honored to join faculty and staff to deliver transformative learning opportunities and skills that empower students to thrive in our community and beyond," Jones said in a news release from CWI.
Jones and his wife reside in the Treasure Valley, along with their four children, ages nine to 15. Jones stays active in the community through various board positions, coaching youth sports, and is an avid fly fisherman and outdoorsman.
"The Board is enthusiastic to welcome President Jones to the College. His expertise in leveraging education and innovation to connect students with the workforce is exceptional," CWI Board Chair Molly Lenty said.
Denise Aberle-Cannata has been serving as interim president since Glandon's retirement. Aberle Cannata was also one of four finalists for the permanent appointment.
The College of Western Idaho was founded in 2007, after voters in Ada and Canyon counties approved the formation of a new public community college district. According to information on the college's website, CWI served a total of 29,673 students during the 2020 fiscal year -- both credit and noncredit -- making it Idaho's largest community college.
CWI's main campus is in Nampa. The college also has an Ada County campus at the Blackeagle Business Center in Boise, and offers programs at a number of sites in addition to those two campuses.
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