Two new members appointed to FLC Board of Trustees

Nine members now serve on the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees with the appointments of Mary Rubadeau and Christopher Adam Red, both from Southwest Colorado. In March, Governor Polis signed HB20-1108 creating two new seats to fill on the Board. Rubadeau and Red were appointed this week by Governor Polis and await senate confirmation.

Red is from Ignacio, Colorado, and is an enrolled member of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and former Tribal councilmember. Prior to serving as councilmember, Red worked for the Tribe in various capacities with the Southern Ute Permanent Fund and the Southern Ute Growth Fund. While at the Tribe’s Permanent Fund, he was employed with the Southern Ute Division of Wildlife, as well as the Southern Ute Tribal Rangers.

At his most recent position as a GIS Specialist with the Southern Ute Department of Energy for the Southern Ute Growth Fund, he created, displayed, and maintained GIS data. Red collaborated with numerous state and federal agencies regarding oil and gas activities on the Southern Ute Reservation and gained valuable experience in business and leadership during his career.

“FLC leads the way when it comes to giving Native American students an opportunity to continue their education that they might not have otherwise,” Red said. “I look forward to continuing and building on the strong tradition FLC has built in Southwest Colorado.”

Red graduated from Ignacio High School and has a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Northern Colorado.

Rubadeau has 40 years of experience in education, leading institutions and programs from pre-K through community college in both Alaska and Colorado. In her various roles, Rubadeau worked to increase educational opportunities for all students, and close achievement gaps for minority student populations by targeting Tribal and family partnerships, providing educational choice, teacher training in culturally responsive practices, and developing inclusive and equitable programs. She coordinated regional collaborations to increase pathways to college attainment for Native American students, as well as the development of FLC’s online principal licensure program that focuses on cultural competency.

Rubadeau is a former superintendent of Telluride School District and interim superintendent of Bayfield and Montezuma-Cortez School Districts. She also served as executive director of San Juan BOCES and interim executive dean for Pueblo Community College of Southwest Colorado.

“My commitment to FLC students is to seek their counsel and listen to their personal goals, with a focus on issues impacting their educational success and a lifetime ahead of rich learning experiences,” Rubadeau said. “I am honored to serve, and excited to roll up my sleeves and join the FLC Board of Trustees, working in partnership with the administration, students and faculty to advance a culture of equity and educational excellence, and continue to build a campus learning environment for student centered, quality post-secondary education.”

Rubadeau has a Bachelor of Arts in Education from St. Lawrence University and a Master of Science from University at Albany in Educational Psychology. 

The Colorado State Senate will vote on the new appointees’ confirmations. Rubadeau and Red will serve four-year terms.

“I have had the great opportunity to work with both Mary and Adam in the past and know they will be great additions to the FLC Board,” said Ernest House Jr., BOT chair.

Previously, the Board of Trustees included seven appointed members, with one faculty and one student representative. Adding two more appointed members brings the board’s size more in line with other state higher education institutions with nine voting members.

In addition to the size increase, the bill adds a requirement that at least one trustee be an enrolled member of a federally recognized Native American tribe. Previously, no more than two members could be residents of Southwest Colorado, but now at least two members shall reside in Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, or San Juan county.

“The students at Fort Lewis College deserve to have a Board of Trustees who reflect their diversity,” said Representative Barbara McLachlan in March. Rep. McLachlan sponsored the bill with Senator Don Coram. 

“I sponsored this bill to ensure that one board member will be a member of a recognized tribe, and another to represent a resident of Southwest Colorado,” she said. “Having focused representation helps student voices to be heard and recognized, adding to the value of a Fort Lewis education.”