LCCC welcomes new vice president of Administration & Finance

CHEYENNE — Laramie County Community College welcomes a Wyoming native home.

Rick Johnson has been hired as the college’s vice president of Administration and Finance. “I am looking forward to returning to Wyoming, my home state, and becoming immersed in the higher education community that I have missed,” Johnson says. “In particular, I look forward to immersing myself in the organizational culture of LCCC and learning and understanding what drives inspired learning, and ultimately, student success, at LCCC.”

Johnson’s first day at LCCC will be July 13.

For the past four years, Johnson has been the assistant dean of Administration at the University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business, where he had oversight of all finance and budget, accounting and procurement, human resources, technology services and facilities management for the school of 3,300 students.

LCCC President Dr. Joe Schaffer also is excited about Johnson’s return to Wyoming.

“It is always heartwarming to bring a Wyoming native back home and to fill a leadership position at the college,” Schaffer says. “But when you get to bring one with the track record and experience of (Johnson), things are that much better. (Johnson) has a decorated history of leading administrative and business enterprises at esteemed organizations such as CU, NCAR, and our very own University of Wyoming. I look forward to seeing the best of his work take shape here at LCCC.”

Before his appointment at Leeds, Johnson was the division administrator at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., from 2008 to 2011.

Prior to that, Johnson worked at the University of Wyoming, where he conceived and implemented a first-ever trademark licensing and marketing effort for the university and the State of Wyoming’s Secretary of State’s Office. Those efforts led to his appointment to the director of auxiliary enterprises with the state.

Johnson was born in Rawlins, and he gained some of his elementary school learning in Cheyenne. He says he is enthused with the prospect of returning to Wyoming and continuing his career in higher education.