Kylie Wheaton

Chinook Writer

On March 6 the Board of Trustees Chairman, Dave Applegate, announced the finalists for the Presidential Search at Casper College: Dr. Brandon Kosine, Dr. Benjamin Valdez and Dr. James Taylor. Taylor, the Vice President for Statewide Campuses at Utah State University, withdrew from consideration for the position on March 27, as reported by the college’s public relations department. Still, Applegate said the board of trustees plans to select a candidate in early April.

Each of these candidates went through a long and thorough process to get to where they are now.

According to Applegate, “All three finalists are very accomplished in the area of educational leadership. They all have been in a variety of roles within various institutions. They’re all we’ve been looking for — people who had broad experience and a depth of experience.”

Candidate Dr. Brandon Kosine

Dr. Brandon Kosine is currently serving as the interim president at CC. Originally from Sheridan, Kosine received his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision in 2007 from the University of Wyoming. 

Kosine is a first-generation college student and hopes to encourage other first-generation college students with his own story and accomplishments. 

“When you’re first gen you never really see yourself doing these kinds of things. I try to let folks know that I’m first gen so that students can hear that message,” said Kosine. “I always told my students in all my classes — I’m a first-generation college student and here I am, you know, teaching all of you, or I’m in this administrative position because I just think providing that message lets students know that hey, I can do this too.”

Kosine has been employed at Casper College since 2012. He began as a psychology instructor and then moved to dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He then served as vice president of academic affairs before working as the current the interim president.

In everything he does, Kosine said he aims to be thoughtful. He strives to ensure that he is taking care of those he leads in a very sincere and genuine way. 

“I’m a counselor by trade, and I feel like I really try to anticipate the needs of other people and try to support them in the ways that they need supported,” said Kosine. 

Such support not only applies to the staff and faculty of Casper College, but to the student body as well. Last year Kosine presented the Student First Initiative, also known as the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan, to the board of trustees. The board approved the initiative, and Kosine began implementing it at the college. 

The Student’s First Initiative was created to keep students at the center of all decision making at CC. According to the official CC 2024-2029 Strategic Plan, “Casper College strives to provide an education for a lifetime that will prepare individuals to thrive and adapt in an ever-changing world.” The plan also states that CC has a “primary focus on student success that provides learning opportunities to enrich the lives of our students and community.” 

Kosine is passionate about equipping students with all the tools they need to be successful when their journey at Casper College ends. More specifically, Kosine strongly believes in providing leadership skills and opportunities to all students. 

“For me personally, leadership is so much about who and how you are as a person and that personal development,” said Kosine. “A huge part of leadership for me, and especially with students, is figuring out what are your values and what are your principles […], and then developing your leadership theory and practice based on that and really having a solid sense of self.”

Kosine said he believes that there is much more to the college experience than just classes and homework and hopes to ensure students get the most out of their time at Casper College.

Candidate Dr. Benjamin Valdez

Dr. Benjamin Valdez is currently the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, S.D. Valdez received his doctorate in Business Administration and Educational Administration from California Southern University and his doctorate in Education in Educational Leadership from Liberty University.

Valdez said he believes in thinking outside the box and being unconventional. He believes it’s an essential skill in this day and age.

“I do not believe that you should allow yourself to be defined, and with today’s world being in ever flux and changing, you need to be adaptable,” said Valdez. 

Valdez said he also sees the importance of taking risks when needed and doesn’t fear failure. Instead, he acknowledges the benefits that can come from failure. 

“I believe it is from failure that you really learn,” said Valdez. “And being open to failure — there’s nothing wrong with that.”

At Southeast Tech, Valdez took a chance by convincing the school to accept an offer from the Sioux Falls Development Foundation to take over a building adjacent to campus in order to expand academic programs. He said the risk resulted in a new state of the art healthcare simulation center.

“Our enrollment in healthcare programs, our nursing, medical lab technician, medical assisting, paramedic science, the sonography programs have all increased, and we have what is known as one of the best healthcare simulation centers around,” said Valdez.

Valdez said he hopes to take similar risks at Casper College and increase community involvement as well as bring in more funding for the school. 

“I think there’s a lot of opportunities — a lot of grants and different opportunities to help increase, [and] to build the infrastructure within the college and provide more opportunities for students and faculty and everybody in the community as a whole,” said Valdez.

Valdez believes academic expansion is extremely important in order to ensure that students receive the best and most applicable education they can. 

“If you want to survive, you have to be able to move that needle and add new programs [and] new opportunities, and [to] really look at what that next step is for the institution,” said Valdez. “There’s an old saying I’ve heard many times in education — you’re preparing students today for careers and jobs that have not yet been invented.”

Valdez hopes to improve the academic opportunities offered at Casper College in order to best prepare students for their next chapter in life.

What comes next?

Each of the candidates participated in a forum where students, staff, faculty and community members can ask the candidates their questions. The college hosted Dr. Kosine’s forum on March 28 and Dr. Valdez’s forum on March 31.

Each will also sit for one more interview with the Board of Trustees before a final candidate is chosen in early April.