A President’s Perspective: The Value of Higher Education
I will be transitioning this spring into retirement after serving fourteen years as president of...
Author Profile
Patricia Erjavec | President, Pueblo Community College
Current Position and Past Experience
Pueblo native Patty Erjavec has served as president of Pueblo Community College since June 1, 2010. She oversees PCC’s main campus in Pueblo as well as its Fremont Campus in Cañon City and its Southwest campuses/sites in Mancos/Cortez, Durango and Bayfield. She is the school’s first female president.
Her primary areas of emphasis during her tenure at PCC have been improving student access, retention and graduation rates. She gained approval for bond issues that created a modern Learning Center on the Pueblo campus as well as an expanded, student-approved College Center that includes a Career and Transfer Center. Erjave also gained State support to fund an expansion of the Welding Lab on the Pueblo campus and a renovation and expansion of the Health Science Building, allowing the Dental Hygiene Program to double it’s capacity. All projects directly target student success by providing more learning resources and/or enhancing student life. In 2023 Erjavec opened a state-of-the-art teaching and learning center for nursing and allied health programs in partnership with Centura Health, renovating a vacated hospital into classrooms and labs that simulate the work environment students will be employed in upon completion of their degrees of studies.
In her first year at PCC, Erjavec introduced the annual Celebration Walk. It has become a tradition on the first day of each fall semester to congratulate students for taking the first step on their journey to success. During her tenure at Pueblo Community College Erjavec has led the redesign away from remedial education to supplemental education, developed a nationally acclaimed “Return to Earn” program, moved the college to a guided pathways model for degree completion, increased concurrent enrollment by three fold, celebrated mobile learning lab innovation with the coveted Bellweather award, and has partnered with several local community entities to ensure students basic needs are being met with a food pantry, close closet, medical and mental health services, tutoring and mentoring.
Education, Honors and Achievements
Erjavec completed her PhD in education leadership (research and policy) at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University, where she graduated with Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society honors, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from the University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University Pueblo). She also attend the Kennedy School of Government and Center for Creative Leadership to garner expanded executive leadership attributes.
Erjavec has been recognized numerous times through out her career to include the Outstanding Colorado Community College System President (twice), Outstanding Alumni by South High School, Colorado State University-Pueblo and University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, the Charles Crew Business Leader of the Year by the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, Anna Tonsing Outstanding Woman award by the YWCA, Women of Influence by the Colorado Springs Gazette, Phi Theta Kappa’s Shirley B. Gordon Outstanding President award, The Chair Academy Outstanding Innovator Award and Colorado Mental Health Award for Outstanding leadership.
Personal Details and Community Involvement
Erjavec enjoys golfing, hiking and the exploring the beautiful Colorado outdoors with her family and friends.
Erjavec served more than eight years on the State Board of Community Colleges and Occupational Education, two of those years as chairperson. She currently serves on the boards for US Bank and the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation and chairs the One Pueblo – Talent Pipeline initiative. She is a member of Rotary No. 43 and a former board member of the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, the Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry Education Foundation, the Colorado Association of Family and Children’s Agencies, St. John Neumann Catholic School and the Workforce Development Board of Pueblo, Huerfano and Las Animas counties. She also has contributed to numerous other local and state boards, committees and agencies by serving as a chair, officer or member. Erjavec is currently engaged with an Xcel Energy “Just Transitions Initiative”- and a group of community leaders charged to offer recommendations on an energy path forward as the community has been legislated to close its coal producing power plant and move to a modern renewable energy source.
Erjavec is a regular contributor to numerous local and state newspaper and educational media outlets through out Colorado and has presented at a variety of National Conferences on a variety of higher education topics related to workforce development and student success.
Pueblo native Patty Erjavec has served as president of Pueblo Community College since June 1, 2010. She oversees PCC’s main campus in Pueblo as well as its Fremont Campus in Cañon City and its Southwest campuses/sites in Mancos/Cortez, Durango and Bayfield. She is the school’s first female president.
Her primary areas of emphasis during her tenure at PCC have been improving student access, retention and graduation rates. She gained approval for bond issues that created a modern Learning Center on the Pueblo campus as well as an expanded, student-approved College Center that includes a Career and Transfer Center. Erjave also gained State support to fund an expansion of the Welding Lab on the Pueblo campus and a renovation and expansion of the Health Science Building, allowing the Dental Hygiene Program to double it’s capacity. All projects directly target student success by providing more learning resources and/or enhancing student life. In 2023 Erjavec opened a state-of-the-art teaching and learning center for nursing and allied health programs in partnership with Centura Health, renovating a vacated hospital into classrooms and labs that simulate the work environment students will be employed in upon completion of their degrees of studies.
In her first year at PCC, Erjavec introduced the annual Celebration Walk. It has become a tradition on the first day of each fall semester to congratulate students for taking the first step on their journey to success. During her tenure at Pueblo Community College Erjavec has led the redesign away from remedial education to supplemental education, developed a nationally acclaimed “Return to Earn” program, moved the college to a guided pathways model for degree completion, increased concurrent enrollment by three fold, celebrated mobile learning lab innovation with the coveted Bellweather award, and has partnered with several local community entities to ensure students basic needs are being met with a food pantry, close closet, medical and mental health services, tutoring and mentoring.
Education, Honors and Achievements
Erjavec completed her PhD in education leadership (research and policy) at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University, where she graduated with Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society honors, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from the University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University Pueblo). She also attend the Kennedy School of Government and Center for Creative Leadership to garner expanded executive leadership attributes.
Erjavec has been recognized numerous times through out her career to include the Outstanding Colorado Community College System President (twice), Outstanding Alumni by South High School, Colorado State University-Pueblo and University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, the Charles Crew Business Leader of the Year by the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, Anna Tonsing Outstanding Woman award by the YWCA, Women of Influence by the Colorado Springs Gazette, Phi Theta Kappa’s Shirley B. Gordon Outstanding President award, The Chair Academy Outstanding Innovator Award and Colorado Mental Health Award for Outstanding leadership.
Personal Details and Community Involvement
Erjavec enjoys golfing, hiking and the exploring the beautiful Colorado outdoors with her family and friends.
Erjavec served more than eight years on the State Board of Community Colleges and Occupational Education, two of those years as chairperson. She currently serves on the boards for US Bank and the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation and chairs the One Pueblo – Talent Pipeline initiative. She is a member of Rotary No. 43 and a former board member of the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, the Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry Education Foundation, the Colorado Association of Family and Children’s Agencies, St. John Neumann Catholic School and the Workforce Development Board of Pueblo, Huerfano and Las Animas counties. She also has contributed to numerous other local and state boards, committees and agencies by serving as a chair, officer or member. Erjavec is currently engaged with an Xcel Energy “Just Transitions Initiative”- and a group of community leaders charged to offer recommendations on an energy path forward as the community has been legislated to close its coal producing power plant and move to a modern renewable energy source.
Erjavec is a regular contributor to numerous local and state newspaper and educational media outlets through out Colorado and has presented at a variety of National Conferences on a variety of higher education topics related to workforce development and student success.
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