Choosing the leader of a community institution is never easy, but it seems as though the Northwest College Board of Trustees has a clear choice for the college’s next president.

Lisa Watson has been filling in as NWC’s interim leader since November 2020, when then-President Stefani Hicswa began preparing to depart for a position at Montana State University — Billings. A few months later, trustees and other college leaders decided to effectively pause the search for a new permanent president and stick with an interim leader through the end of the 2021-22 academic year. Factors at the time included a lack of enthusiasm in the search process, the fact that the college was in the midst of drafting a transformation plan and challenges that included funding cuts from the state government.

But there’s no question that asking Watson to continue leading the college for more than a year was a strong vote of confidence. And we believe she’s only bolstered that confidence over the past year.

Trustees have been impressed enough with Watson’s performance that they named her as one of two finalists for the position, alongside Michelle Schutt, the vice president of community and learner services at the College of Southern Idaho.

While Schutt appears to be well qualified for the position, and it was wise for the board to conduct a full-fledged search, there’s no good reason to remove Watson from her post.

NWC has seen its share of hard times over the years — from low morale to funding shortfalls to dropping enrollment — but it feels like some corners have been turned. To be sure, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows at the moment, and the college cannot afford to simply stand pat. But sticking with Watson isn’t settling for the status quo: During her public presentation last week, she was clear about the need for NWC to continue to adapt to ever-changing student needs and broader trends.

Watson laid out ideas for expanding into partnerships with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Yellowstone National Park and other federal agencies, collaborations with other community colleges and potentially offering micro-credentials, to serve those students who might be looking for more specific, streamlined coursework instead of the full college experience.

Watson also wants to boost the college’s recruiting efforts, establish panels that would work with more businesses and K-12 educators and overhaul the college’s branding.

She’s had a front row seat to the long-running debates over NWC’s ongoing transformational efforts — a process that could potentially include a name change.

“Frankly it’s been kind of exhausting and we’re over it, and I get that and I recognize that,” Watson said, and yet she remains committed to helping the trustees and campus navigate the tough discussions and decisions. In her presentation, she offered ideas on how to go about refining the college’s mission and vision and still wants to gather input, apparently as part of her commitment to transparency.

Additionally, she’s working to obtain a Ph.D. in higher learning administration through the University of Wyoming.

“Dedicated” is a good way to describe Watson’s approach — along with her willingness to fill in as interim president for more than a year. It’s one of several words she uses to summarize her skills as a leader, alongside other fitting descriptors like authentic and positive.

Those and other attributes have served Watson well as interim president, and we hope the board of trustees gives her the opportunity to continue putting them to work for Northwest College by naming her the institution’s next president.