President Dene Thomas to retire in 2018

Fort Lewis College (FLC) President Dene Thomas has announced that she will retire effective June 30, 2018. There will be a search for a new president. More information will be made public when it is available.

This final year of President Thomas’ tenure will be far from a coast to the finish. FLC is working through a comprehensive strategic enrollment process that will shape the institution for the future. This process will be her top priority over the next year.

“I want to use my remaining time fully committed to positioning FLC on the right path for years to come,” she says. “We must work quickly to meet the needs of students and external stakeholders. This is a critical time for Fort Lewis College and I will be here for the challenge!”

President Thomas took over as president at FLC in 2010. She arrived at a time when the College was dealing with cutting $4.5 million from its budget. She helped guide campus through that challenging time into several years of enrollment growth.

Over the ensuing years, President Thomas tackled a number of the major issues facing Fort Lewis College. She oversaw the redesign of the FLC curriculum ahead of the College’s successful reaccreditation in 2016. She was also an important part of working with the Colorado State Land Board and Colorado State University to resolve the issues surrounding control of the Old Fort Lewis campus in Hesperus.

A recent milestone for FLC was the dedication of Sitter Family Hall, the home of geosciences, physics & engineering, in 2017. This state-of-the-art facility is a crown jewel for campus and the Durango community.