Your future, our focus
The Northwest College Board of Trustees recently announced the appointment of Lisa Watson to serve as interim president of the college. Watson has served as vice president for administrative services at NWC since 2014.
“I am excited at the opportunity to serve Northwest College,” Watson said. “Together with the Board’s Trustees, I look forward to upholding the mission of the college and continue our efforts toward transformational change.”
Watson was selected several times to serve as acting president in NWC President Stefani Hicswa’s absence. Since 2016, she managed day-to-day campus needs, represented Hicswa at campus or state meetings and worked to stay abreast of local and state initiatives that could impact campus.
“With the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing statewide economic and budgetary reductions, the college needs a president who can assume the position and hit the ground running,” Watson said.
In addition to nearly six years of service at the college, she has a diverse background that draws on a history of small business, corporate and CPA experience. Included in that history is a stint as interim president at Miles Community College in Montana from May 2013 to Jan. 2014.
Watson first established her professional career in Florida where she was a CPA. She held positions there as an institutional separate accounts manager, junior accountant and district resource manager/retail operations manager at Franklin Templeton, H.J. Jenzano and Company and TJ Maxx, respectively.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1990 from the University of Colorado. She followed that with an MBA in 2001 from the University of Miami and was certified as a public accountant in the state of Florida the following year. She is also a CPA in the state of Wyoming.
“It is true that we have hard work ahead, and transformational change must occur,” Watson said. “This is coupled with budget reductions and a presidential search. However, as long as I have the privilege of serving as interim president, I am committed to work with the board, our campus community and the citizens of Park County to serve the mission of the college and to move the college forward to a bright future.”
Watson currently lives in Cody with her husband, Thomas, and son, Matthew.
