CMC Salida Hires New Assistant Dean of Students

Amy Dennis has been promoted to the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Colorado Mountain College (CMC) in Salida. Dennis began her career at CMC in 2016 as the site coordinator for Chaffee County. She has been instrumental in the formation of the college’s newest location due to her background in in education and knowledge of the region.

Amy Dennis was recently promoted to assistant dean of Student Affairs at Colorado Mountain College Salida. Dennis originally came to CMC in 2016. She has been working as the site coordinator for Chaffee County for the past four years.

“Being a part of the establishment of the Salida campus in 2019 was an amazing experience,” Dennis said. “I am extremely excited to work with the new team to guide and help students through the many challenges of being a college student, from high school students concurrently enrolled to the senior citizen taking a lifelong learning class.”

In this new role Dennis will support students in accessing and completing their academic goals. The Assistant Dean provides a unified approach to campus operations, student success and has direct oversight of disabilities services, financial aid, academic advising and counseling services.

“I realized I really liked working with teenagers and young adults while serving a year in AmeriCorps after college, where I worked as a mentor and academic support specialist in a middle school,” she said. She also spent two years at a private boarding high school as part of the admissions and residence staff.

Dennis received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Youngstown State University and a master’s in anthropology from Kent State. She worked in student affairs in higher education for 13 years in a variety of roles in Ohio, Colorado and West Virginia. Dennis also taught anthropology and sociology at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

“We are so excited to promote Amy to her new job at CMC Salida,” said CMC Vice President and Campus Dean of Leadville and Salida, Rachel Pokrandt. “She’s an essential member of our campus team.”