Eileen E. Ely is the Albany County Campus Dean for Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Laramie, Wyoming. Annually, the Albany County Campus (ACC) enrolls approximately 1,500 credit students, 250 non-credit students and 600-700 University of Wyoming developmental math students. The annual campus operating budget is $2.3 million. The campus employs 14 benefited faculty and staff and approximately 75 adjunct faculty a year.
Dr. Ely provides leadership for the Albany County Campus and maintains the administrative responsibility for all campus operations, programs and activities—to include budget, enrollment, curriculum, facility and personnel management; community educational needs assessment, including customized training; concurrent enrollment, strategic planning; grant writing; and development and implementation of programs and services. As the primarily liaison to the community, Dr. Ely maintains cooperative, productive relationships with the Cheyenne campus, Albany County School District # 1, the University of Wyoming, the local community, and other state, national and legislative constituencies.
Prior to joining Laramie County Community College, Dr. Ely attended The University of Texas, participating in the Community College Leadership Program. During this time, she had the opportunity to serve as Administrative Intern in the Office of the President at the Community College of Denver (CCD), where she became actively involved in key college initiatives, including the college’s Annual Planning Council and grant writing and institutional effectiveness efforts. In addition, Dr. Ely served as Assistant to the Director of the National Institute for Student and Organizational Development (NISOD) at The University of Texas at Austin. In that role, she co-authored a book entitled In Pursuit of Excellence: The Community College of Denver (Community College Press, 2001). The book, which identifies the Community College of Denver as one of our nation’s foremost learning colleges, focuses on major factors and best practices that contribute to high levels of student success in this financially strapped institution. As a follow-up, Dr. Ely also co-authored the article Challenges of the Heart: Pursuing Excellence at the Community College of Denver (Community College Journal, December 2000/January 2001).
She earned an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting and Computer Science from I.T.T. Technical Institute, a Bachelor of Science degree in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, a Master of Science degree in Higher Education with a community college focus from Iowa State University, and a Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, participating in the Community College Leadership Program.
Dr. Ely is an active member in numerous community organizations, including Laramie Rotary and the Ivinson Memorial Hospital Community Relations Committee. As a community trustee, Dr. Ely also participates as an active member in the Laramie Chamber of Commerce, serving as President-Elect and a member of the Executive Board, Board of Directors and the Budget and Finance Committee. In addition, she works closely with the Laramie Economic Development Council, serving as Chair of the Executive Board and Board of Directors. She served on the University of Wyoming—University Studies Program Committee (2001-2005) and participated in the Colorado and Wyoming Association of Women in Education (2001-2005) and Zonta (2001-2005) organizations. To enhance her leadership skills and abilities, Dr. Ely participated in the Iowa State University Leadership Institute for a New Century (LINC) and Community College Leadership Initiative Consortium (CLIC); Leadership Laramie 2002; Leadership Wyoming 2004; the American Association of Community College Trustees 2004 Leadership Academy; and the 2005 League for Innovation Executive Leadership Institute.
Dr. Ely is married to John C. Ely; together, they have six adult children and twelve grandchildren.
