Latest News – April 7

VP Taylor To Leave CMC Leadville for Utah

Dr. James Taylor, vice president for Colorado Mountain College (CMC) in Leadville has accepted the position of executive director of Utah State University, Uintah Basin. His last day at CMC will be May 31.

James Taylor leaves CMC for Utah

Before launching a search process to find a successor to Dr. Taylor, CMC President Carrie Hauser will convene a special committee to assist her in considering how to best position the campus and its next leader with long-term success.

The group will conduct listening sessions with students, faculty, staff and community members in both Lake and Chaffee counties. Dates for these sessions and an interim leader will be named prior to Taylor’s departure in May. President Hauser also plans to spend additional time in Leadville and Chaffee County during the summer months to support the transition.

 New High School Principal Cairns Selected 

The Lake County School District announced yesterday the appointment of Ben Cairns as principal of Lake County High School.

Cairns currently serves as the principal of DSST Cole High School in Denver, where he has led the school since its founding in 2013. Prior to this position, Cairns served as the Assistant Principal at Cole Arts and Science Academy for two years and at North High School as the Restorative Justice Coordinator / Dean of Culture for five years.

Cairns’ current school, DSST Cole High School, has a demographic profile similar to Lake County with 72% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch and 25% English language learners. The school has received accolades for closing the achievement gap, meaning that its lower income students have begun to perform as well as their high income peers on some standardized assessments.

Cairns pursued the principal position in Lake County because of a strong affinity for Leadville’s student population; a belief in and experience with the reforms LCSD is undertaking; and a desire to live with his family in a small mountain town. Cairns’ wife and two school-age sons will join him in moving to Leadville this summer.

After a comprehensive search, five candidates participated in an in-depth interview process for the position. Superintendent Wendy Wyman selected Cairns because of his strong experience as a school leader and demonstrated track record of leading schools and students to high levels of academic achievement.

 “We are so honored by the caliber of candidates who reached out to us during the search,” said Superintendent Wyman. Wyman also expressed thanks to the many staff, students and community members who participated in the process. Current principal Christina Gosselin will lead LCHS through the end of the current school year.