An experienced professional in higher education will become Colorado State University’s director of the Castle Rock Collaboration Campus.
Jill Garber, director of Arapahoe Community College’s campuses in Castle Rock and Parker, has been named Regional Engagement Hub director. Garber, a Castle Rock resident for more than a decade, will work on behalf of CSU with communities, businesses and educators across the southern Front Range region.
The $40 million Collaboration Campus, unveiled in January, is being led by – and financed by – Arapahoe Community College. The two-phase project includes two 54,000-square-foot buildings on a 14-acre site on the northern edge of Castle Rock between Castle Rock Adventist Hospital and Castle View High School. The estimated opening of phase one will be in fall 2019.
As a partner in the campus, Colorado State will lease space at the campus from ACC. Garber will begin May 22, and will hire one additional support staff.
Partners, programming and services
Garber has worked at ACC since 2011 and will be responsible for coordinating academic and community-based programming and services for communities across the southern Front Range. She will work with partners such as Arapahoe Community College, Town of Castle Rock, Castle Rock Economic Development Partnership, Douglas County School District, Douglas County Libraries and Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce.
“This will continue the work started by Arapahoe Community College in forging collaborations between K-12 schools, local employers and four-year institutions,” Garber said. “The Castle Rock Collaboration Campus will create a clear pathway from high school to ACC and CSU. This opportunity will enhance the ability of students and life-long learners for apprenticeships, local employment, and advanced degrees.”
“Leading our efforts at the Collaboration Campus is a natural extension for someone of Jill’s abilities,” said Kathay Rennels, associate vice president for Engagement at CSU. “As a 21st century land-grant university, we will be connecting our campuses and statewide resources to meet community needs through this innovative learning concept.”
CSU’s role
“The Collaboration Campus is a major step forward in helping Castle Rock develop into a standalone community,” said Garber. “We will work to expand educational and program offerings with our campus and community partners to create an identity for the campus and CSU’s role within it.”
Initial educational offerings will be in the areas of business and entrepreneurship, health and wellness, information technology/programming, workforce training, and general education. The campus will also provide CSU faculty and students with research and internship opportunities, hands-on project work, and other activities.
“Jill’s background and expertise are perfectly suited to meet the immediate and long-term needs of learners of all ages in the community and region,” said Geniphyr Ponce-Pore, director of the hubs initiative for the Office of Engagement. “The community and economic development that is created from this hub will have benefits for employers and employees throughout Castle Rock and the southern Front Range.”
Engagement across Colorado
Colorado State’s participation in the Collaboration Campus is part of its ongoing engagement efforts across the state. This process involves engagement centers – or hubs – including the Northeast Regional Engagement Center in Sterling, which for the past six years has shared university resources with Northeastern Junior College, Morgan Community College and residents in 7 northeastern Colorado counties.
These efforts, supported by the CSU System, could lead to a broader implementation of additional engagement hubs across Colorado. This model helps to connect Colorado communities around shared solutions through education, research and leadership.
Garber, who has previously worked at Regis University in Denver, received her M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix and her bachelor’s in science from Central Michigan University. She has served as a board member of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce since 2014, the Castle Rock Economic Development Council’s Business, Retention and Expansion Committee since 2013, and the American Association for Women in Community Colleges since 2010.
For more information on Engagement Hubs, contact Geniphyr Ponce-Pore at gen.ponce-pore@colostate.edu or (970) 491-6148.
