Public meetings with finalists April 12; presidential appointment expected April 14
After an extensive national search, the Snow College Presidential Search Committee has recommended three finalists to the Utah Board of Higher Education for the position of Snow College President: Courtney R. White, Kirk D. Young and Stacee Y. McIff.
“There were numerous applications that came in from people who were well-qualified for the position. The search committee members reviewed each application and decided upon those to interview. Through this thorough and extensive search, these three finalists have been named,” said Snow College’s Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee Chair Leslie Keisel. “After further review by the Utah Board of Higher Education, additional input will be gathered by stakeholders after they have an opportunity to meet the finalists. We are confident this Board will select a president who will lead this institution in accomplishing great things.”
“The Utah Board of Higher Education appreciates the robust and thorough search process conducted over the past several months by the Snow College Board of Trustees and the Snow College Presidential Search Committee,” said Lisa Michele Church, Chair of the Utah Board of Higher Education. “Our Board recognizes the critical importance of Snow College to our higher education system — both as a thriving community college and as a place for students in rural areas to have rewarding learning experiences. We look forward to interviewing the three exceptional presidential finalists and selecting one to continue Snow College’s great legacy.”
As part of their delegated duties and responsibilities, the Snow College Board of Trustees named a 13-member search committee in December 2022. The committee spent several months soliciting input through public meetings and in-person interviews. The Utah Board of Higher Education will interview the following finalists (listed here in alphabetical order):
Courtney R. White is the Associate Vice President of Executive Affairs/Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees at Utah Tech University, where he advises the president, plays an integral campus leadership role, and supervises the strategic plan implementation focused on student success and access. Since 2014 he has been adjunct faculty with the Southern Utah University Master of Public Administration program. He previously served as the lobbyist for the University of Oregon and held a similar external relations position with the Utah Education Association. His prior professional assignments include work at the Nevada, Oregon, and Utah Systems of Higher Education, most recently as an Assistant Commissioner. He earned an associate degree from Snow College, a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, a master’s degree from the University of Utah, and a law degree from the University of Oregon. He is from Ephraim.
Kirk D. Young serves as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, New York. Kirk has served in this role since 2014. Prior to joining JCC, Kirk worked for eight years in multiple positions at Utah Valley University. Throughout his years working in higher education, he has worked in a wide array of functional areas, including enrollment, fundraising, student services, and marketing, as well as serving for several years as the director of the Center for the Advancement of Leadership at UVU where he directed programming and taught various courses in leadership.
Kirk holds a BA in psychology from Utah Valley University, an MS in sociology from Brigham Young University, and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University. His master’s studies focused on the social impacts of large-scale mega events, particularly the 2002 Winter Olympics. His doctoral studies focused on the 360-degree assessment as a leadership development tool. His other areas of expertise include transformational leadership, appreciative inquiry, servant-leadership, leadership and creativity, and strengths-based leadership. Kirk is a certified strengths coach with the Gallup organization, and spends some of his time working with students, fellow employees, and teams on strengths-based performance and leadership solutions.
Kirk currently lives in Lakewood, NY, with his wife, Katie, and their three children. Kirk serves on several community boards and is active in serving the communities of Western New York.
Stacee Y. McIff is currently the Interim President of Snow College. As interim president, she has prioritized students and employees, as well as community and USHE partnerships. Before she was appointed as interim president, Stacee led the college’s expanded mission into technical education and served as Vice President of Technical Education and Workforce Engagement for two years after serving for a time as Associate Provost and as Business Department Chair for eight years. She has held a faculty role at the college since 2006, where she has prioritized student engagement and worked with various internal and external task forces, including co-chairing the last strategic planning process tied to accreditation. Stacee has been heavily involved in the community and has served as national board chair of Future Business Leaders of America, Inc., on the SUU National Alumni Council, Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service Board, the Board of Directors of the New Horizons Crisis Center, as president of the Sevier County Republican Women, and more. Born and raised in rural Utah, Stacee holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University and a master’s degree from Utah State University.
Next steps
The finalists will be on Snow College’s Ephraim campus on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, to meet with groups representing faculty, staff, students, trustees and administration. Each finalist will participate in a public meeting on the afternoon of April 12, where attendees from the Snow College community and the general public will have the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates.
Public meeting schedule
Snow College: Ephraim Campus – Huntsman Library Auditorium (Room 101)
141 E Center St, Ephraim, UT 84627
- 1:30 – 2:15 p.m. – Courtney R. White
- 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. – Kirk D. Young
- 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. – Stacee Y. McIff
Members of the campus community and public are welcome to attend in person or watch these sessions online.
Those unable to attend these meetings are encouraged to submit a comment online or by email at snowpresidentsearch@ushe.edu. More information on public meetings is available at snow.edu/presidentialsearch.
On Friday, April 14, 2023, the Utah Board of Higher Education will interview the finalists in a closed session. The Board may convene a public meeting at Snow College: Ephraim Campus in the Eccles Center, Jorgensen Concert Hall at 3:30 p.m. that day to select the president. However, it may convene at another time, which will be announced at a later date.
