College President
Kirk Young began his tenure as the 9th president of Western Wyoming Community College in July of 2024. Prior to his time at Western, Dr. Young served for ten years as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, New York. Before JCC, Kirk worked for eight years in multiple positions at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Throughout his years working in higher education, he has worked in a wide array of functional areas, including enrollment, fundraising, student services, and marketing, as well as serving for several years as the director of the Center for the Advancement of Leadership at UVU where he directed programming and taught various courses on leadership. Kirk holds a BA in psychology from Utah Valley University, an MS in sociology from Brigham Young University, and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University. His master’s studies focused on the social impacts of large-scale mega events, particularly the 2002 Winter Olympics. His doctoral studies focused on the 360-degree assessment as a leadership development tool. His other areas of expertise include transformational leadership, appreciative inquiry, servant-leadership, leadership and creativity, and strengths-based leadership. Kirk and his wife, Katie, have three children. They all look forward to the great opportunity to get to know the community at Western, and to add to the tradition of excellence that has existed throughout the history of the college.
