The Utah Board of Higher Education will consider the appointment of Kirt Michaelis as the next president of Mountainland Technical College (MTECH) at its public meeting today. The vote on Michaelis’ presidential appointment will take place during the Board meeting that begins at 10 a.m. in the Diesel Technology Bay of the Trades and Technology Building on MTECH’s Lehi Main campus.
The MTECH Presidential Search Committee and the Board led an extensive search, reviewing a strong pool of candidates. They assessed each applicant for a variety of key qualities, including academic credentials, leadership background, technical education experience, commitment to student success, industry partnerships, and community engagement and vision for MTECH. Kirt Michaelis is the final candidate for MTECH president.
Michaelis has served 18 years as MTECH’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He played an instrumental role in MTECH’s transformation and success, overseeing the development of more than 500,000 square feet of campus facilities and managing growth of the college’s workforce to more than 700 employees across six campuses.
A relentless advocate for student access, Michaelis spearheaded initiatives to secure Pell Grants, established key industry partnerships like the MTECH-Norco welding collaboration, and helped ensure that 99% of graduating cohorts leave debt-free. A Utah native, his higher education career spans more than two decades, including leadership roles at the Utah College of Applied Technology and MTECH. Michaelis holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Utah Valley State College, now Utah Valley University, and an MBA from Utah State University.
MTECH is one of Utah’s 16 public higher education institutions and had the largest graduating class among Utah technical colleges in 2026. It serves more than 6,700 students across Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties. MTECH’s main campus is located in the Thanksgiving Point area of Lehi, with other campuses in Orem, Provo, Spanish Fork, Payson and Heber City. It has 38 programs across five schools with top enrollment in Electrical Apprenticeship, Medical Assistant and Nursing Assistant programs. Eighty-two percent of students complete their programs. It boasts an 89% job placement rate and a 100% occupational licensure rate.
With affordable education, work-based and experiential learning opportunities and meaningful career placement, MTECH provides value to students and families and guarantees the workforce readiness needed to support Utah’s growing economy.