(UPDATED, 5:50 p.m., with contract details.)
Gordon Jones will begin work next week as the College of Western Idaho’s third president, college officials announced Tuesday.
Jones signed a $315,000-a-year contract Monday, nearly a month after college trustees ended a lengthy search process by selecting the Boise State University administrator for the president’s job.
But now, Jones will go on a fast track, driven in part by the 2022 legislative session.
Jones will start at CWI Monday, the first day of the session, but he will be in transition from his post as founding dean of Boise State’s College of Innovation and Design.
Innovation is a recurring keyword on Jones’ resume — and a selling point to trustees, who voted unanimously to offer him the president’s job.
Jones held an administrator’s position at the Harvard Innovation Lab at Harvard University before coming to Boise State in 2015. Previously, the Stanford University MBA graduate has worked for 15 years as a business executive, focused on innovation, marketing and sales growth.
“His expertise in leveraging education and innovation to connect students with the workforce is exceptional,” Board Chair Molly Lenty said Tuesday.
“As growth in the Treasure Valley continues to accelerate, I’m honored to join faculty and staff to deliver transformative learning opportunities and skills that empower students to thrive in our community and beyond,” Jones said Tuesday.
At CWI, Jones will succeed Bert Glandon, who retired last spring after 12 years as president.
Idaho Education News obtained a copy of Jones’ contract late Tuesday afternoon. In addition to Jones’ salary, the contract also includes several other financial provisions: vehicle and cell phone allowances, and a “presidential fund” of at least $12,000 a year, for “promoting the educational mission and business interests of CWI, including costs of memberships in professional groups, social organizations, and participation in outside events.”
At the conclusion of his contract, which runs through June 30, 2025, Jones is ensured a teaching position for at least one year, “at a salary equivalent to the highest paid faculty member at CWI.”
