Colorado Mountain College held a transition event Monday at its Edwards campus for Carrie Besnette Hauser to officially hand over the presidency — and master key — to Matt Gianneschi.

With the transition official, Gianneschi, who has served as the college’s chief operating officer and chief of staff for 10 years, is the 10th person to serve as president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College.

“Welcome to the party,” said Peg Portscheller, chair of the college’s board of trustees.

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In the crowd Monday night to celebrate the official transition were past and present members of the board, the Colorado Mountain College Foundation’s board, the president’s advisory council as well as donors, elected officials, family and friends of Hauser and Gianneschi, community members, and David Delaplane, the college’s 96-year-old founder.

A ‘transformational leader’

Hauser joined the college in 2013, a time that was complex and challenging, said Glenn Davis, the chief development officer for Alpine Bank. Davis was president of the college’s board when Hauser was appointed.

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“At that time, there were any number of things that just kind of kept the college from being able to fulfill its promise and its vision,” Davis said.

While she was the “unconventional” candidate for the role, Hauser was “pretty compelling” and ultimately what the institution needed to lead it into the future, Davis said.

Hauser remembered that when Davis first offered her the job he did so with some qualifications.

“He said there were challenges to face, a group of seven trustees seldom in agreement — including about hiring me — and a whole lot of vacant positions to fill across the college,” Hauser said. “He asked me to really think about it, and I promised I would.”

In December 2013, Hauser became the second woman to hold the presidency. She joined the college with experience in leadership from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Daniels Fund.

On Monday, speakers detailed the impact Hauser has since had in her 11 years in the role.

“If anybody can be called a transformational leader, it is Carrie Hauser. Carrie’s impact on the college truly is immeasurable,” Portscheller said. “Her impact can be felt far and wide, and she continues to bring people together, to support innovation, collaboration and to always, always, always be student-focused and focused on our communities.”

Under Hauser’s leadership, the college saw graduation rates increase, became accredited, was designated as a Hispanic-serving institution and made significant infrastructure investments into new technology and labs as well as into housing, Portscheller shared.

In addition to these tangible impacts, faculty, students, advisors and donors shared exactly what made Hauser stand out as a leader. In videos and speeches, they described her as intelligent, dedicated, fun, visionary, outgoing, direct, creative, personable, compassionate, enthusiastic and more.

“Carrie, I think, is a breath of fresh air that led the way for Colorado Mountain College to grow into what it is today,” said Carrie Morgridge, co-founder of The Morgridge Family Foundation, one of the college’s biggest donors.

As Hauser steps out of the presidency to join the Trust for Public Land, she is the longest-standing president of the college in its 57-year history. To honor this, the college’s board of trustees gave Hauser the honorary title of president emerita.

“It’s not time in a seat that makes somebody deserving of this award. It’s what you make happen. And Carrie delivers day in and day out as if it’s her first day,” said Kristin Heath Colon, CEO of the Colorado Mountain College Foundation. “She is fiercely compassionate about the work that we’re doing, about our communities, and what it takes to be a good partner.”

The college also created an endowment in her name, The Carrie Besnette Hauser Outdoors for Everyone Endowment, which will provide a scholarship as well as a gear stipend for individuals enrolled in the college’s outdoor industry programs.

“It honors Carrie’s leadership here at (the college), but also her lifelong love for the outdoors and a strong belief that access to the outdoors should be available to everybody,” Heath Colon said.

Bringing the passion

As much as Monday was a celebration of Hauser’s achievements and contributions, it was also to introduce Gianneschi as the college’s next leader.

Gianneschi was Hauser’s first hire to the executive team in 2014 — which rather than the C-suite, Hauser rebranded as the “popcorn suite.”

“To tonight’s most important successor — and that’s Matt, MEG, Matthew Everett Gianneschi, Dr. G — just as the cosmic universe lined up for me 11 years ago, I had hoped some version of this day would eventually happen for you,” Hauser said. “We accomplished so much together with our amazing team, and I was successful because I had a trusted partner like you.”

In his career, Gianneschi “has held nearly every position in higher education,” Portscheller said.

Before Colorado Mountain College, Gianneschi held roles in admissions, research, policy, teaching and more. In April, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted for him to take over the top role.

On Monday, Gianneschi shared that his dedication to higher education comes from his family, tracing back to his grandfather or “Papa,” who was an immigrant and veteran of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II.

“He came from a generation that believed in the goodness of our nation and the truth of the American dream. How could he not? As the child of impoverished immigrants who spoke no English, he parlayed his grade school education into securing a modest home on Chicago’s northwest side, and he sent his children to college,” Gianneschi said.

Despite dropping out in sixth grade, Gianneschi said his grandfather was adamant that his children go to college. Gianneschi’s father, the eldest son, went on to earn his PhD and spent his career in higher education.

“Both of my parents were professors and higher education professionals. My parents instilled in me a deep personal appreciation for the transformational power of education, especially its ability to empower lives, achieve justice and lift families out of the cycles of poverty,” Gianneschi said.

From his parents and grandfather, Gianneschi said he intends to bring their optimism and belief in higher education to the job every day.

“(Colorado Mountain College) is my passion,” Gianneschi said. “But don’t be fooled by the meaning of what I intended to convey. The word passion derives from Casio, a Greek term that means to suffer. So yes, I am so inspired by this college, its students, its people, and the communities it serves. It truly is my passion, a place for which I’m willing to endure great challenges to improve the lives of those seeking opportunities in its classrooms.”