PRESIDENT Trinidad State College (TSC) seeks a visionary, authentic, and student -centered leader to serve as its next President. TSC is dedicated to transforming lives and strengthening communities through quality educational experiences and lifelong learning throughout southern Colorado and beyond. TSC has a students first focus , offering the full college experience in a small -town setting. The next president will keep students’ best interests at the forefront while build ing upon a legacy of academic excellence and deepening the college’s integration with the communities it serves. This includes championing student success initiatives, ensuring accessible pathways to completion, and maintaining a visible, present leadership style that demonstrates genuine care for student outcomes and the TSC employee s. The president will champion both internal organizational health and external community partnerships, ensuring that TSC remains a cornerstone institution for high- quality academic, technical, and workforce education and regional prosperity. The selected candidate will be expected to put down roots in the community and become genuinely involved in the fabric of regional life. The TSC President reports to the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Chancellor with the autonomy to manage their own institution and the benefit of working within a system. The president is the face of the college and leads, recommends , and executes all functions and activities of the college; establish es strategies and measurable goals to increase enrollment and ensure equity in student access and success ; and exercises sound judgment in their fiduciary responsibility and use of all the college’s resources . The president will embrace CCCS’s Together We Can philosophy and collaborat ively work together with the Chancellor and 12 other college presidents to develop, support and implement system- wide initiatives. About Trinidad State College Established in 1925, TSC was the first community college in Colorado and has been recognized as a Hispanic Servi ng Institution since 1994. TSC serves students of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. With campuses in Trinidad and Alamosa, geographically divided by the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, the college service area includes eight rural counties : Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Huerfano, Las Animas, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache. TSC offers a wide variety of academic programs , with tuition rates consistently 40% below Colorado’s state colleges and universities . In addition to traditional Arts and Sciences classes and guaranteed transfer programs with four -year colleges and universities in Colorado, TSC offers programs in Robotics, Cyber Security, Computer Aided Drafting, Nursing, Welding and Technical Theatre. TSC has an Electrical Line Technician program and is home to a premier Gunsmithing School, the oldest degreed program in the United States. The college’s seventeen (17) intercollegiate sports teams provide additional opportunities for students. The Trinidad Campus , on the eastern edge of the Colorado Rockies , is a 17- acre campus at 6,000 feet and adjacent to mountains on the north, south and west and canyons and rolling prairie on the east. This campus is home to the Louden- Henritze Archeology Museum which includes many area fossils. Students on this campus have access to four residence halls. The Valley Campus , located in downtown Alamosa , serving 500 – 600 students each semester, is a commuter campus. At 7,600 feet in elevation, Alamosa sits in the middle of the San Luis Valley, the highest and largest mountain desert in the world. The Great Sand Dunes National Park is located 35 miles to the northeast and features the tallest dunes in North America. The campus trains the majority of healthcare workers, law enforcement officers and first responders in the Valley. In 2025, the Aspen Institute named TSC a semi -finalist and top 20 community college in the nation. TSC is also one of 200 institutions eligible to compete for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two- year colleges. Opportunities and Challenges TSC’s 2025- 2030 Strategic Plan was launched in Fall 2025. The plan sets a direction for the college’s future. TSC seeks a leader who is committed to the 2025 -2030 Strategic Plan and will inspire and encourage the faculty, staff and community with a compelling vision to meet its strategic priorities. TSC serves a diverse student population across its campuses and is not immune to the challenges facing rural colleges across the country, including declining populations and budget constraints. The Colorado higher education funding model is one of enrollment -driven budgets. A focus on strategic enrollment management with plans to align all aspects of the college, faculty and staff toward a common goal of increased student enrollment and retention will be critical to the college’s future growth. The Presid ent will also continue to assess and develop quality programs to support student success and placement into livable wage jobs while bringing underserved learners into the TSC family . At the same time the president will need to respect the impacts of new initiatives on a lean staff , support professional development for employees, and champion efforts to systemize operations or practices where applicable. TSC has recently undergone several capital construction and facilities upgrades. The Samuel Freudenthal Memorial Library , built in 1967, was reinvented to create a welcoming destination for students, faculty and the broader community including an innovative makerspace . Upgrades have also been made to one of the residence halls on the Trinidad campus. The Valley campus is currently undergoing a two- story addition to create a One-Stop Services area and allow Allied Health Programs to expand programs for in- demand careers. The President must possess strong budget knowledge and fiscal management skills, along with an understandi ng of capital construction and controlled maintenance. The ability to make sound financial decisions while investing in institutional infrastructure is critical to TSC's continued growth and sustainability. The next president will be a critical component in the success of Emergent Campus Trinidad. With $3.5 million in funding from Opportunity Now, a Colorado grant program designed to foster talent development across the state, Emergent Campus expanded its operations in Freemont County to Trinidad. Project goals include program creation, expanding internships for students and positioning the area as an innovation hub for new employers to create pathways for students into high- wage industries. The president must demonstrate a commitment to democratic engagement across southern Colorado and beyond and foster deeper integration between the college and the community, including building strong relationships and connections with the K -12 schools in the area . Being part of a system of colleges allows the president to collaborate with and learn from peers across the state and brings an opportunity for shared resources and increased efficiency through the Power of 13. The TSC president will need to embrace the benefits of working within a system and be able to work together with the CCCS Chancellor and other college presidents while also advocating for their college. REQUIRED AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES Applicants should have strong evidence of many, if not all, of the following qualifications, skills and attributes: • A master’s degree from an accredited institution is required • Demonstrated ability to provide visionary and forward -thinking leadership while remaining accessible and engaged, actively listening, valuing lived experiences, and empowering others to lead with confidence • Fiscal and budgetary experience in a resource- constrained environment; appreciation of public finance and the realities of enrollment -driven budgets with a commitment to maintaining low tuition costs • Effective interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to establish strong, purposeful relationships with diverse communities; capacity to work closely with and earn the respect and trust of stakeholders both internally and externally • The ability to build trust through transparency and to energize and inspire students, faculty, staff, alumni, advisory board members, and external stakeholders • Intercultural competence and demonstrated experience advancing an organization that serves diverse constituencies • A track record of using data to inform decision- making • Knowledge of current and emerging opportunities, challenges, trends, and strategies in community college and public higher education and the ability to express the value and essential role community colleges play in advancing economic mobility • Entrepreneurial and innovative skills; proven ability to build and leverage external alliances and to develop strategic fundraising opportunities and workforce development partnerships • Ability to work within a system, where heads of institutions have autonomy to manage their institutions but work collaboratively under a central system authority with an overarching Board of Directors About CCCS CCCS is the state’s largest system of higher education and workforce development, delivering thousands of programs to over 1 30,000 students annually through 13 colleges and over 35 locations across Colorado. Guided by its vision to be the first and best path for all Coloradans to achieve a more prosperous and fulfilling life, CCCS ensures that every learner has access to high- qua lity, affordable higher education opportunities. The System Office provides leadership, advocacy, and support to the colleges, inc luding some centralized and shared services. CCCS is governed by a 12-member board called the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE). Ten board members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. There is one board member for each U.S. congressional district, plus two at -large members . No more than six members may be from any single political party. They have staggered four -year terms. The remaining two seats on the board are held by a community college faculty member and a student representative who serve in non-voting capacities for one year each. About the CCCS Chancellor Dr. Marielena DeSanctis serves as Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System. Immediately before becoming Chancellor, she served as President of the Community College of Denver. A former mechanical engineer with more than 26 years of experience in K –12 and higher education, she is known for bridging industry and education to expand opportunity and economic mobility. The daughter of a dedicated public school teacher, Dr. DeSanctis is a lifelong champion of access and inclusive excellence. She serves on multiple national and state boards focused on education, workforce development, and economic growth for all learners. Additional information about the College and the search process can be found on the TSC President ial Search page : https://trinidadstate.edu/event/presidential -search.html . APPLICATION PROCESS For full consideration, applications should be submitted by March 17, 2026. Candidates should provide the following: • Letter of interest addressing the experience and qualifications identified in the position profile. • A curriculum vitae/resume. Applicants are encouraged to keep their materials to no more than 10 pages. Application materials should be submitted to RPA Inc. at TrinidadPresident@rpainc.org . RPA Inc. is assisting with this search. Nominators and prospective applicants may contact Isaac Karaffa, Vice President and Senior Consultant , at TrinidadPresident@rpainc.org for additional information. Position Salary and Benefits: Presidents of colleges within the Colorado Community College System are provided with comprehensive health and life insurance, generous leave and strong retirement plan options. The anticipated salary range for this position is $200,000 – $220,000. Final salary will be determined based on the selected candidate’s qualifications and applicable internal equity. TSC is an equal opportunity employer and is seeking individuals with demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive learning and work environment.
