Pueblo Community College expected to announce its new president in the next few weeks

Now narrowed down to three finalists, Pueblo Community College's next president is expected to be named in mid-April.

Cathie Cline, Chato Hazelbaker and Kirk Young are the hopefuls to succeed current President Patty Erjavec after she retires from a 14-year stint leading PCC this May. All three finalists were given the opportunity to visit the PCC campus and speak to community members at open forums earlier this month.

The Colorado Community College System and its Chancellor Joe Garcia are currently reviewing community feedback received through an online survey and conducting background and reference checks in anticipation of naming the next PCC President.

“The selection committee has recommended three outstanding candidates to succeed Dr. Erjavec, who has been a tremendous leader for PCC,” Garcia said in a statement to the Chieftain. “I was pleased to receive such robust feedback from the open forums and campus visits, and each finalist left Pueblo with increased interest in the position."

"I look forward to selecting a new president who can advance PCC’s mission to transform lives, enrich communities, and strengthen regional economies,” he said.

Who are the three finalists? What would they bring to the table?

Hazelbaker, current president of Northland Pioneer College in Arizona, was the first candidate to be named a finalist in the PCC presidential search. Northland Pioneer College is a Native American-Serving Institution and the nation's second-largest community college district in terms of geography. He was announced as a finalist on March 11.

Under Hazelbaker's leadership, Northland Pioneer College has developed a strategic plan, expanded academic programs, expanded campus facilities and increased enrollment after a decade of decline. He also has leadership experience in enrollment management, government relations, information technology and marketing.

Young is Jamestown Community College's vice president of student affairs. He has worked at the school in Jamestown, New York, since 2014. Young previously worked at Utah Valley University, where he held multiple positions over an eight-year period. He also is a first-generation college graduate who began his career as a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) counselor.

Community relations, enrollment, fundraising, government relations, marketing, retention, student services and student success are among the functional areas in which Young has worked during his career. He also has established academic and workforce programming. He was named a finalist for the PCC search on March 13.

Cline was the third candidate to be announced as a finalist. She is the president of East Arkansas Community College. Under her leadership, the institution revised mission statements, improved student success rates and tripled concurrent enrollment. She also led the merger of East Arkansas Community College with another technical college and prioritized employee well-being. She was announced as a PCC finalist on March 14.

Cline also has served on the National Workforce Commission for the American Association of Community Colleges, the Advisory Committee of Presidents for the Association of Community College Trustees and the Strategic Planning Committee for the Arkansas Division of Higher Education’s Master Plan Align 2026.

Additional information about the three finalists can be found on PCC's website at pueblocc.edu/President. While online finalist feedback surveys have closed, community members may still submit feedback about candidates to CCCS Chief Human Resources Officer Christina Cecil through March 28.

Cecil may be reached via email at christina.cecil@cccs.edu.

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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: When will the next Pueblo Community College President be announced?