Aspen’s departing mayor Steven Skadron will lead Colorado Mountain College’s Aspen and Carbondale campuses starting in August.
Scadron finishes his final term as mayor of Aspen June 10, and was selected as CMC vice president and campus dean for his experience in policy related to environmental stewardship, economic diversification and mobility, CMC said in a press release.
“I am so pleased that Steve Skadron has found his way back to CMC, after his many years in public service,” said Carrie Besnette Hauser, CMC president and CEO. “Aspen and Carbondale are special communities that exemplify modern mountain towns with their progressive embrace of the arts, innovative economies and dynamic social consciousness. Steve, whom REI called ‘one of the five coolest mountain-town mayors in America,’ knows this region well.”
Current campus dean Linda Crockett announced her departure from CMC last month to teach full-time beginning in August.
Skadron is a former adjunct faculty member in CMC’s Isaacson School of Communication, Arts and Media, and his appointment was lauded by the school’s namesake and past CEO of the Aspen Institute. “It has been my strong position for years that Colorado Mountain College is a unique gem in higher education and we are lucky to have this valuable asset in Colorado’s mountain region,” said Walter Isaacson.
“The future will be even brighter with Steve Skadron at the helm of CMC’s Aspen and Carbondale campuses. His experience and visionary style will connect many dots and elevate CMC’s role in workforce training, collaborative partnerships, and making this high-cost region inclusive and accessible to a younger and more diverse generation who will compose the civic fabric of the community for decades to come,” Isaacson said.
Skadron served on the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority Board of Directors for 12 years, and is credited with helping win a $25 million federal grant for the VelociRFTA Bus Rapid Transit project.