College of Western Idaho (CWI) President, Gordon Jones, delivered the 2025 State of the College Address to faculty, staff, and community on Wednesday, August 13, at the West Lawn/Quad of the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB). The location of the event was a first for CWI and attendees, with the new Health & Sciences Building serving as both a backdrop and evidence of the College’s strong growth.
Preceding the Address, the exceptional contributions of faculty and staff were recognized, with monthly winners invited up to the stage by Faculty Senate President Abby Wolford and Staff Senate President Crystal Rangel. The 2025 Faculty of Distinction Award was awarded to Mindy Young, Professor of Network Administration, and the 2025 Staff of the Year Award presented to Alex Pless, Tutoring Specialist. Congratulations!
Additionally, there were 154 employees who reached key anniversaries in their service to CWI:
Five-year recipients: 74
Ten-year recipients: 17
Fifteen-year recipients: 62
Next, the Pillar Award was presented by Mark Arstein, vice president of Advancement, to four employees who have steadfastly supported and given to the CWI Foundation: Audrey Eldridge, Morriah Marks, Jeff Flynn, and Heidi Mackenzie.
The State of the College Address was then delivered by President Jones and served as launching pad for the new school year, an opportunity to welcome faculty and staff, celebrate highlights from the past year, and provide vision moving forward. His presentation showcased several of CWI’s transformational programs and teams, the new Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration, and the tremendous progress with construction across CWI locations. These included the recently completed Health & Science Building and Agriculture Sciences Complex, and the future CapEd Student Success Center and Boise location.
In an emotional moment, President Jones expressed, “As we kick off this year, I'm energized to see students coming back to campus and I know you join me in that sentiment. It's why I'm here. We've talked about our “why” for CWI. How can you not be excited for students taking big steps to start something new and learn transformative skills. It’s at CWI where they have that opportunity and it’s because of you.”
After his remarks, President Jones opened the floor to answer questions from attendees, during which topics including AI, the Ford Idaho Center, and more were discussed.
At the conclusion of the event, faculty and staff were invited to tour the Health & Sciences Building.
