CSI President Finalist Bios

President candidate bios provided by the College of Southern Idaho:

Dr. Josh Baker: Dr. Josh Baker has 15 years of experience in community colleges. He started as a faculty

member at Highline Community College, near Seattle, and enjoyed a variety of faculty leadership positions before accepting an Assistant Dean position at Vincennes University where he was the chief officer at Center Grove Early College in Greenwood, Indiana. He then accepted a position as a Campus Dean and Instructional Dean at Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Washington. At Bates he led Adult Basic Education, Developmental Education, General Education, Allied Health, and Business and Office programs. He later transferred within Bates to lead the STEM programs and oversee a new campus. Dr. Baker currently serves as the Vice President of Instruction at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Spring, Colorado. Pikes Peak is a robust and diverse college serving approximately 20,000 students each year at three full-service campuses.

Dr. Baker is a board member for the Red Cross in Colorado Springs, and for The National Council of Instructional Administrators. He served on the board for Reach Services for Youth while in Tacoma, WA. He has participated in a variety of community service, including youth sports.

Dr. Baker is currently a Presidential Fellow with The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. His PhD is in Community College Leadership from Oregon State University and his dissertation is on Actions of Community College Presidents that Increase Organizational Trust. His masters and bachelor’s degrees are from Brigham Young University. Dr. Baker is a proud community college alum.

Dr. Baker and his wife Toni have three children and enjoy an active lifestyle, including exploring our amazing national parks.

Dr. Martin Reimer: Dr. Martin Reimer currently serves as the Provost at Ellsworth Community College (ECC), an institution that is part of the Iowa Valley Community College District. He possesses many years of higher education and institutional finance leadership experience. He has specialized in leading diverse teams to develop collaborative strategies to improve open access, increase student success, strengthen diversity, expand civic engagement, and grow workforce development.

Working in the community college system, Dr. Reimer has focused on building learner-centered approaches to increase student success. He has led teams that created innovative workforce training platforms by aligning ESL, GED, customized training, and degree programs; developed global learning opportunities for students and faculty; and worked collaboratively with the ECC Foundation to increase endowed scholarships. Dr. Reimer directed the team that secured a Title III Strengthening Institutions grant that focused on improving learner completion by taking an evidence-based approach to improving developmental education, faculty development, and learner support services. He led efforts in Hardin county to secure a $32 million district bond referendum to improve college safety and student housing; championed the college’s assessment and evaluation efforts with the Higher Learning Commission; directed joint college and high school initiatives to create new learning opportunities; and upgraded STEM learning facilities based on faculty and student input.

Dr. Reimer began his career as an elementary teacher at the Colegio Americano in Puebla, Mexico before transitioning into international business. He worked in the oil industry for Trouvay & Cauvin in Houston, TX and in institutional banking with JPMorgan Chase Bank in Houston and Tokyo, Japan. During this time, he found that his learning philosophy connected strongly with the mission of community colleges. Upon re-entering the field of education, Dr. Reimer worked as the Dean of Corporate College and Dean of Student Support at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, IA before joining the ECC team.

Dr. Reimer earned a doctor of philosophy degree in higher education administration from Capella University.

He holds a master of business administration degree in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a bachelor of arts degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa. He lives in Iowa Falls with his wife, Jackie, and two daughters, Cailin and Anica.

Dr. Dean Fisher: Dr. L. Dean Fisher currently serves as the Provost for SUNY Corning Community College in Corning, NY. SUNY CCC is a medium-sized institution with multiple campuses. As Provost provides oversight for the academic divisions, library, marketing, enrollment management, and student services. He has been at SUNY CCC since July 2017, accepting a consulting role with SUNY CCC from March 2017 through June 2017 as part of a transition. Among initiatives that he has led or been part of a core team’s implementation are implementation of Guided Pathways, collaboration with Workforce Development to implement a STEAM Innovation Center, reestablishment of cross country as a collegiate sport, implementation of Esports, establishment of three two-plus-four programs with pharmacy schools for associate to PharmD programs, a guaranteed medical school admission pathway, and over 40 other academic pathway agreements.

Prior to his work at SUNY CCC, Dr. Fisher had served as a Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor for a Member of Congress. In that capacity, he provided administrative oversight for the Congressman’s Oklahoma district operations and the Washington, DC staff. The Congressman served on the Armed Services and Oversight and Government Reform Committees, so much of the legislative and policy work was focused upon foreign policy and military matters.

Prior to his work for the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Fisher worked at Rose State College in the Oklahoma City metro from 1987 though 2014. He served in a variety of roles at the College in Financial Aid, Admissions/Records, Enrollment Management and concluding his service there as Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. He was part of the core team that implemented the Achieving the Dream program to improve student outcomes, establishment of eight student leadership programs, approval of soccer as a varsity sport, and working through a feasibility study process resulting in construction of campus apartments. His efforts also resulted in expansion of the College’s concurrent enrollment program and establishment of an outreach program to foster care youth establishing a bridge to college. Dr. Fisher holds an A.A. from Rose State College in General Studies, a B.A. and M.A in history from the University of Central Oklahoma, and an Ed.D. from Gwynedd Mercy University (Pennsylvania). He has regularly taught undergraduate and graduate courses in history, humanities, leadership, and student development.

Dr. Dana Young: Dr. Dana M. Young has served as the sixth and the first female president of Treasure Valley Community College since July 2010. As a first generation student, Dr. Young personally understands the challenges encountered by many students and has dedicated her career to supporting student success. Under her leadership, and with her more than 20 years of administrative experience working in higher education, she collaborated with college constituency groups and community stakeholders to create an environment of data driven decision-making and ultimately a multi-year strategic plan that connects to the mission of TVCC.

During her tenure TVCC has been successful in its application and receipt of numerous competitive federal, state, local, and private grants. Specifically, the successful acquisition of federal HEP, CAMP, and Title III grants. Dr. Young’s vision for TVCC is to continue to be the first choice and the right choice for students by offering quality and affordable academic, career, workforce training and student success programs, creating a culture of inclusiveness, and promoting safety and security on campus. Part of this vision included building

state of the art facilities to enhance the student learning environment. Because of a tradition of community and state support, the Laura Moore Cunningham Science Center was built in 2012 and starting in 2020 the groundbreaking and construction of a new Career and Technical Education Center will further enhance current and future programming opportunities. Through collaborative efforts the College has made significant strides in building relationships with business and industry, K-12 schools, municipalities, agencies, and other institutions of higher education to prepare for future growth and ensure community educational needs are met.

Dr. Young is actively engaged with the TVCC Foundation to cultivate donor relations and establish on-going endowments for future generations of students. As such, Dr. Young created an endowed scholarship in memorial to her mother who was a student in the college’s nursing program. She continues to support and advocate for the mission of the Foundation to improve the quality of life for students by creating scholarships and enhancing the environment for student life and activities.

Before coming to TVCC, Dr. Young spent seven years as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming. Prior to moving to Wyoming, Young worked at Blue Mountain Community College for more than 17 years. At BMCC she held several leadership positions including Vice President/Dean of Student & Enrollment Services, Associate Dean of Enrollment Services and Director of Financial Aid.

Dr. Young earned her PhD in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University, a Master's degree in Business Administration from Portland State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Economics from Eastern Oregon University. Dr. Young’s advocacy for Oregon community colleges has included meeting regularly with legislators to advocate for community colleges as well as focusing on current legislation that may impact higher education. Dr. Young currently serves as a member of the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Equity Committee, the Governor appointed Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region Board, the Eastern Oregon Workforce Board, the Snake River Economic Development Association, the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit steering committee, the Ontario Area Chamber of Commerce, Lifeways, Inc. as well as other regional and local boards.