Liz Forster
News Editor
The President’s Office is currently experiencing a shakeup in personnel, as two key staff members leave, two new members join, and previous roles arise in a new form.
The departing staff includes former Chief of Staff Jermyn Davis and Program Coordinator Andrew Streight. According to President Jill Tiefenthaler, Davis is presently living in Denver and has not yet announced his future plans.
“We’ve known each other for several years prior to starting at Colorado College three years ago, and he has been a great help to me in adapting to the college,” said President Tiefenthaler. “He knew my working style and was there every step of my Strategic Plan, whether it was the year of listening, the year of planning, or this year, rolling it all out.”
Davis also worked closely with the Board of Trustees, acted as a liaison while President Tiefenthaler was traveling, and kept the communication and connection alive between various constituencies.
Both Davis and Streight’s former roles will also undergo changes. Rather than having a Chief of Staff who deals primarily with the functions of the President’s Office and a Program Coordinator who oversees committee meetings, the roles will change to Special Assistant to the President and Special Assistant to the Board.
Mary Frances Kerr and Caitlin Apigian will take over these roles, respectively. As Special Assistant to the President, Kerr will primarily provide professional aid to the president on campus.
“The Special Assistant to the President will interact with committees, donors, and alumni,” said President Tiefenthaler. “Mary has been at the college for six years and has established strong relationships across campus. She knows the community and its constituencies, and how to communicate with them.”
The position of Special Assistant to the Board, which will be filled by Apigian, seeks to act as a liaison between the President’s Office, the Board of Trustees, and staff councils. Before coming to Colorado College, Caitlin was a Legal Secretary and Executive Assistant to one of the country’s largest law firms, Winston & Strawn, LLP.
“It’s always hard to bid people farewell like Andrew and Jermyn,” said President Tiefenthaler. “But new people bring new strengths and new ideas as we move beyond planning and into making the Strategic Plan come to life.”
With Apigian’s transition to this role, the administrative support team is left one staff member short. The administration has posted a job listing on the employment section of the college’s website for an executive assistant position.