The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University system Thursday confirmed Rhonda Epper as the 17th president of the Pueblo campus. Epper will officially begin on March 23.
“CSU Pueblo has always struck me as a hidden gem, home to a caring community, dedicated faculty and staff, and students who represent the future of Colorado,” said Epper in a release from the Colorado State University System. “I look forward to supporting the university’s continued growth and to sharing its powerful story across the state and beyond.”
Most recently, Epper has served as president of Trinidad State College since June 2019 where she oversaw a $45 million capital campaign, guided the college’s renaming, and strengthened regional economic partnerships.
She also launched the institution’s first bachelor’s degrees, expanded high-demand workforce programs, stabilized enrollment and finances post-pandemic, and achieved the highest graduation rate gains in Colorado’s community college system, according to system leaders.
"Dr. Epper rose to the top from an outstanding pool of candidates because she brings just the right combination of experience, passion, and knowledge to the role,” said CSU system chancellor Tony Frank in the press release. “I look forward to working with her and believe she will be a great leader for a university that truly deserves someone of her caliber at the helm.”
Epper has held other higher education leadership posts in Colorado. She was provost and vice president for academic affairs at the Community College of Denver. She also served as chief student success and academic affairs officer for the Colorado Department of Higher Education and as a regional director for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
John Fischer, chair of the CSU System Board of Governors, praised Epper for her “extraordinary track record” in higher education.
In an interview with a university news site, Epper said Pueblo is well positioned to grow economically. She’d like to see CSU Pueblo be an engine that drives economic development in the region through building stronger ties to industry through research, internships and the cultivation of entrepreneurs.
“With all the uncertainty in the world of today – political divisions, a constrained state budget, a crowded higher education market, and too many disconnected youth – I believe I can help position CSU Pueblo as a central force for change,” she said.
Rico Munn, who served as interim president of CSU Pueblo since Feb. 2025, will return to his role as CSU Fort Collins’ vice president for Metro Denver engagement and strategy on Jan. 1. CSU Pueblo provost Gail Mackin will serve as interim president until Epper’s start date in March.
