ROCK SPRINGS – Nearly a month into his tenure as Western Wyoming Community College’s president, Kirk Young says he’s still getting acclimated to his new role, but has identified a few goals he wants to accomplish, which includes a desire to show appreciation to the college’s employees.
Young is working on a set of goals he wants to accomplish in the first 100 days of his presidency. Young said he has met with groups of college employees as well as community leaders to both facilitate his plan and learn more about how the college is serving the area. He palms to create a list of between three and five goals. So far, two of the goal’s he has set involve enhancing the employees’ experience at the college, as well as enhancing the students’ experience and finding a value proposition that helps identify what the college is to its students.
With the college’s employees, Young said he already knows they’re committed to doing everything they can for the students.
“The people who work here … care a lot about Western,” Young said.
He said the employees make sure the students are being well taken care of and sees some opportunities to improve the employees’ experience at the college, as well as recognize the work they do in ensuring the college functions smoothly.
Young said he has already had meetings with the Southwest Wyoming Manufacturing Partnership and Genesis Alkalai’s Vice-President of Manufacturing, Fred von Ahrens. He said he will continue former President Kim Dale’s work in supporting economic development through organizations like the Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition.
Young is the college’s ninth president. Prior to being hired to lead Western, He was the Vice President of Student Affairs at Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, New York. Prior to that, Young worked in multiple positions at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, including being the director of the Center for the Advancement of Leadership. His career has seen him working in several areas, including marketing, enrollment, student services, and fundraising.
Young has a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from UVU, a Masters of Science degree in sociology from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University. Young’s master’s studies focused on the social impacts of large-scale events like the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Young said his wife Katie and their three children will move to Rock Springs later. Young is enjoying the change in climate from New York and feels the move to southwestern Wyoming is like coming home for the native Utahn. He said he is eager for his family to join him in Rock Springs.
