Denise Laursen said the election results may be a sign the community is ready for some changes in regards to how Northwest College operates. 

Laursen (2,028 votes) was the top choice of five candidates for the college board in the five-candidate NWC Powell Subdistrict race, just ahead of incumbent Dustin Spomer, (2,018) who won a third term on the board. 

“I’m really honored to get to do this and to have so many people put me in,” she said. “So maybe people in the county are ready for some new ideas.”

Four-term board member Carolyn Danko was denied a fifth term on the board, finishing third with 1,378 votes. 

Emily Hart (1,297) and Mallory Riley (839), which also included 180 over votes rounded out the race. 

Spomer, an engineer, was pleased to be able to have another term to work within the new strategic plan the college has been working on. 

“The work of the board going forward is to implement the strategic plan,” he said. “I look forward to working with Denise, she’ll bring a lot to the board. I wish the best for Carolyn Danko, she served for many years and will be greatly missed.”

Danko said she’ll miss being a trustee but will still be active in the college as a volunteer. She also said she planned to congratulate Laursen, whom she said is following in Danko’s footsteps in going from a K-12 career to the college board.

“She was one of my students,” Danko said of Laursen. “She’s focused on trades, which is what we need, so she’ll do great. She’s smart, she’s got a good head on her shoulders, she’s ready for something new.”

“I will miss all the stuff, but i’ll continue to go to the college — I’m a part of them.”

New terms begin Dec. 1. 

John Housel grabbed another term for NWC Subdistrict B (Cody) in which he was briefly opposed until candidate Richard Jones withdrew. 

Laursen, a longtime CTE teacher at Powell High School, said her first goal will be to understand how the board works and what directions they want to go. 

“My end goal is to make our community college one of the top in Wyoming,” she said. “My goal is to do what’s best for the college and the community and to get the community and college back together.”