Dr. Sandy Caldwell attended Paris Junior College in Paris, TX where she later worked as a community college faculty member and served in her first community college administrative role. Dr. Caldwell was an educator for almost 30 years before she retired as the Executive Director and State Higher Education Executive Officer (SHEEO) for the Wyoming Community College Commission, State of Wyoming. Dr. Caldwell has a long history in higher education having served as president of Reedley College in Reedley, CA, community college vice president at Western Wyoming Community College, in Rock Springs, WY, community college academic leader and faculty member at Paris Junior College in Paris, TX, and university field researcher at Oklahoma State University Ag Extension Center in Lane, OK.

She brings significant knowledge of higher education in multiple states including the importance of post-secondary credential attainment and the role community colleges play in supporting regional and state economic vitality. Her experience with community colleges, overseeing colleges with multiple sites and centers as well as engaging with multiple colleges with locally elected trustees, gave her the skills needed to represent the State of Wyoming’s interests including development of legislation. As a result, she is well versed in state-level higher education funding and legislation.

Dr. Caldwell is a champion for the role of governing boards and is a proponent for collaboration at the state-level to effect change. She routinely supports leadership development programs such as Asilomar in CA and ACE Academic Management Institute for women in CO. She has conducted numerous national presentations and has written articles for various higher education publications. Additionally, she served on numerous accreditation teams for the Higher Learning Commission and Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Finally, she found great joy in serving as a Bellwether College Consortium judge in Leadership and Governance where she got to see the positive changes colleges make through intentional board and administrative leadership.

Dr. Caldwell grew up in rural Oklahoma and, after surviving as a homeless youth, found her success in life through attendance at a rural-based community college. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics and statistics from Oklahoma State University and a doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She is a graduate of Leadership Wyoming and served as the board president for the Wyoming Women’s Foundation.