Chato Hazelbaker selected as next president of Pueblo Community College

James Bartolo, Pueblo Chieftain
·2 min read

Chato Hazelbaker, current president of Northland Pioneer College in Arizona, is set to become the next president of Pueblo Community College .

Hazelbaker was selected following a national search conducted by an advisory committee of nine PCC and Colorado Community College System (CCCS) representatives. With over two decades of higher education experience, Hazelbaker will succeed retiring PCC President Patty Erjavec on July 1.

In a news release, CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia said Hazelbaker comes to PCC with experience in community relations, strategic planning and a wide range of skills.

"(Hazelbaker's) commitment to academic excellence coupled with his experience leading multiple campuses, make him the right choice choice for the college," Garcia said. "I have no doubt that Dr. Hazelbaker will carry on PCC's impressive growth and legacy of innovation and inclusion."

Chato Hazelbaker
Chato Hazelbaker

PCC consists of three campuses — the Pueblo, Fremont and Southwest campuses. Over 9,600 students are enrolled across the three campuses each year, according to the PCC website. For more than 30 years, PCC has been federally designated a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Northland Pioneer College, where Hazelbaker has served as president since July 2021, has four campuses in the Northeastern Arizona counties of Apache and Navajo. It is federally designated as a Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution.

While at Northland Pioneer College, Hazelbaker established a program to strengthen partnerships with nearby tribal nations, according to the CCCS news release. Northland Pioneer College also experienced a 7% increase in student retention and enrollment growth for the first time in 10 years under Hazelbaker's leadership.

Prior to becoming Northland Pioneer College president, Hazelbaker was vice president of enrollment management at Carroll College — a four-year institution in Helena, Montana. He also has held positions at Clark College, Crown College, Dickinson State University, Montana State University-Billings and the University of St. Thomas.

Hazelbaker was announced as one of three finalists in the national search for the next PCC president on March 11. He was joined as a finalist by East Arkansas Community College President Cathie Cline and Jamestown Community College Vice President of Student Affairs Kirk Young.

All three finalists visited the PCC campus in Pueblo this March and fielded questions from community members at open forums. Community members submitted feedback on the three candidates through an online survey, which was reviewed by CCCS. Hazelbaker was named the next PCC President on April 2.

"Pueblo Community College has a strong reputation, and I really enjoyed my time getting to know the community and the college," Hazelbaker said in the release. "The faculty, staff and students that I met are dedicated to making a positive difference in their communities. I'm honored to be invited to be a part of that."

More education news: Hitting the Books: Pueblo D60 career fair, CSU Pueblo research symposium coming in April

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Who will be the president of Pueblo Community College? Chato Hazelbaker