Meet TSJC’s new interim president

TSJC’s new interim president Dr. Charles H. Bohlen has completed his first two weeks on the job. He has been getting to know people and places and familiarizing himself with the programs, projects and activities of TSJC’s two busy campuses in both Trinidad and Alamosa.

Dr. Bohlen’s appointment to serve as interim president for Trinidad State Junior College was announced by Dr. Nancy McCallin, president of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) on June 6. McCallin said that Bohlen will serve as interim president for about a year while CCCS conducts a nationwide search for a permanent president for TSJC.

Bohlen is a member of the ‘Registry for College and University Presidents,’ an organization that contracts with retired college presidents who are willing to serve in the role of interim president until a permanent president is found. These retired presidents are not candidates for the permanent position.

Dr. Bohlen served as president of Laramie County Community College (LCCC) for fourteen years before retiring in 2006. He brings a further depth of community college experience from his positions as dean at The Community and Technical College, University of Toledo in Toledo Ohio from 1983-1992 and dean at Jamestown Community College in New York, from 1979 to 1983. In addition, he began his career in higher education as a biology instructor.

When Dr. Bohlen was asked what prompted him to become a member of the Registry and come out of retirement to lead TSJC, he said that he has been a member of the Registry since his retirement from LCCC, however, he had not accepted an assignment to serve as an interim president anywhere until now because he and his wife, Kay, have been enjoying their retirement tremendously, spending summers in Wyoming and winters in Arizona.

He said that retirement has become somewhat routine now, and he feels that “it will be very invigorating to help prepare TSJC for a new president.”

Dr. Bohlen said that he enjoys a fast pace and change, and that is fortunate because things started happening quickly once he received the news that he had been selected for the position of Trinidad State’s interim president. Registry members under contract must be available for assignment on short notice. By agreeing to be considered as one of the candidates for interim president, he was obligated to accept the position if offered, and he and his wife rushed to pack their things in Wyoming and make a quick trip to Arizona before settling into the president’s house in Trinidad for his first day on the job June 18.

Among Dr. Bohlen’s first impressions is how much he and his wife like Trinidad’s architecture, history, and cultural attractions. They have already attended an SCRT production. He said that they had passed through Trinidad many times on their way back and forth from Wyoming to Arizona, but had never really explored the town or the surrounding area before. They were somewhat more familiar with the mountains and attractions in Alamosa and the San Luis Valley from vacationing in that area.

The Bohlens look forward to enjoying and sharing the mountain experience during their time in southern Colorado with their friends, as well as their three grown children, three granddaughters, and their “two little poodles.” They like riding ATV’s, hiking, and geocaching,

In his first two weeks on the job Bohlen has divided his time between the Trinidad campus and the Valley campus in Alamosa. He said that the college is comprehensive in its mission, offering good strong technical education programs and a tremendous arts and sciences side as well.

“The employees at both campuses are very engaged and I am very impressed with the quality of the leadership at TSJC,” said Dr. Bohlen. He enjoys helping students and helping people and in the fast-moving days ahead he is looking forward to meeting and getting to know students, members of the faculty who are not teaching during the summer, college supporters and community leaders.