After hearing the report and recommendation from the Snow College Presidential Committee, the Board of Regents appointed Dr. Gary L. Carlston as President of Snow College this afternoon. President Carlston has served as Interim President since January 2014.
Daniel W. Campbell, Chair of the Board of Regents, said, “It is clear from observing President Carlston’s performance the past year—and the overwhelming support from faculty, students, staff and the community—that it is in the best interest of Snow College to move forward without delay with this appointment. President Carlston has the experience, knowledge and passion to continue successfully leading Snow College into the future.”
In September 2014, Chair Campbell selected Regent Bob Prince to chair an ad-hoc committee—which included Regents Mark Stoddard, Nina Barnes and Marlin Jensen—to seek input from Snow College stakeholders (trustees, faculty, staff, students, elected officials and community members). The purpose of the committee was to assist the Board in determining if the Board of Regents should proceed with a search for a Snow College President, or appoint Interim President Gary L. Carlston as President. The ad-hoc committee met with over 60 key stakeholders in meetings held on November 13, 2014, in Ephraim and November 21, 2014 in Richfield. Their recommendation was to appoint Dr. Carlston President of Snow College, based on the near-unanimous support he received from these stakeholders.
“I am deeply honored to continue working with my colleagues, students, and the greater Snow College community,” said President Carlston. “This is a special place where students are the focus, and their success is our mission. We will honor the great heritage of Snow College, and we will work together to ensure that the College remains the best two-year college in America and maintains its focus on student success. I have enjoyed serving as interim president, and I look forward to continue working closely with Snow College’s Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, and community members.”
Dr. Gary L. Carlston has served as interim president of Snow College since January 2014. A Sanpete County native, he was born and raised in Fairview, Utah, and has spent his entire career in education, both public and higher education. Dr. Carlston graduated from Snow College with an AS and Utah State University with BS and MEd degrees. He went on to earn an EdD at Brigham Young University in Educational Administration. He has been a junior high school teacher, elementary and secondary principal, district curriculum director, and was superintendent of the Logan City School District. Dr. Carlston was a tenured faculty member at Utah State University, associate dean in the College of Education, interim department head of secondary education at USU, and worked in the Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling (CITES) at Brigham Young University. He has also been deputy state superintendent and served as Governor Mike Leavitt’s Deputy for Education. Gary served for twelve years on the Snow College Institutional Council/Board of Trustees and was chairman for ten years. He has also served as an education policy advisor for Prosperity 2020 since 2012.
Snow College is a two-year residential college with campuses in Ephraim and Richfield, Utah. Founded in 1888, Snow College has over 4,800 undergraduate students and is nationally ranked as one of the best two-year colleges in America.
