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Pueblo Community College welcomes Lisa Snyder as new executive dean

Lisa Snyder of Durango is the new executive dean of Pueblo Community College’s Southwest campus and sites. (Courtesy photo)
Snyder has worked in education for over 20 years

Pueblo Community College has announced Lisa Snyder as the new executive dean of the college’s Southwest campus and sites. Her first day on the job was Wednesday.

Dr. Snyder and her family have lived in Durango since 2013, and she served as the dean for the School of Humanities at San Juan College and was the associate vice president for academic affairs at Fort Lewis College.

She moved to New York for a few years to take care of her ailing father before making the trek back to Durango in 2021.

“We had always lived out West, so we were just ready to come back and I started that work, and we fell in love with Southwest Colorado and Durango and the Four Corners,” Snyder said.

As the executive dean of PCC, she will be based at the Mancos campus while overseeing sites in Durango and Bayfield.

Snyder has worked in the field of education for more than 20 years. Before moving to Colorado, Snyder was a faculty member at the University of New York at Oneonta and Eastern Oregon University in Oregon.

Snyder said when she stumbled on the ad for PCC’s new dean it seemed like a perfect fit for her to move into a position that was part of the community she loves.

“I look forward to building upon the outstanding work already being done by the dedicated staff at the college and to leading the campus in its efforts to increase concurrent enrollment, streamline pathways to transfer or employment and foster relationships and partnerships in Southwest Colorado. Durango is my home, and PCC Southwest is an integral part of my community,” she said.

She noted that some of her goals for the school are to continue building on the foundation the school has already established while increasing visibility to the community about what PCC has to offer.

“My goal is to continue the great work that they've been doing in the schools here and to help grow programs and opportunities that will help the high school students and adult learners in Southwest Colorado,” Snyder said. “I'm building on such a great foundation that they've got here. I'm very excited.”

“One of my hopes is to really increase the visibility of the programs and the great things that we're doing, just sort of get the word out even more than they already are. And I hope to have an open house and invite the community to the campus and really get to know everyone,” she said.

Snyder earned her doctorate in instructional leadership from Argosy University in Sarasota, Florida. She has a master’s in curriculum development and instructional technology from the State University of New York Albany, as well as a bachelor’s degree in English from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is a first-generation college graduate.

“Dr. Snyder has an extensive background in higher education leadership, a strong desire to foster student success in the southwest corner of the state, and a proven track record of promoting a culture fostering evidence-based practice committed to diversity, equity and inclusion for students, faculty and staff,” PCC President Patty Erjavec said.

Pueblo Community College was founded in 1933 and its Southwest campus is headquartered outside of Mancos with sites in Durango and Bayfield. According to the school’s news release, PCC “fosters economic development and utilizes strong partnerships in the communities it serves through its Pueblo, Fremont and Southwest campuses.”

PCC offers degrees and certifications in arts, communication, humanities, science, engineering, math, education, business, technology, social and behavioral sciences, public safety and fire science, manufacturing and automotive, health professions, personal services and agriculture.

To incentivize new students, PCC President Erjavec is offering three free credits to any new students who register to attend PCC before the next round of classes start. Those who are interested can visit PCC online at https://pueblocc.edu/programs to learn more.