Lisa Watson

Northwest College President Lisa Watson signed a three-year employment contract with the board of directors on June 28. Under the terms of the contract, Watson will receive a salary comparable to that of former NWC president Stefani Hicswa, but Watson’s retention bonus will be structured differently. 

Watson’s contract provides an annual salary of $198,000. In addition, she will receive the same benefits as all full-time college employees, which extends to her family members, but the college will pay 100% of Watson’s premiums, including disability and life insurance. 

Watson will also receive an $18,000 housing allowance, as well as an automobile that can be used for personal matters within 100 miles of Powell. 

To retain Watson, the college will pay 5% of her base salary into an account annually, beginning after her first year of the contract period. 

Watson was selected as interim president in November 2020, after Hicswa resigned to take a position as chancellor at Montana State University-Billings. In March, she was selected from two finalists to be the college’s permanent president. 

Hicswa had an annual salary of $199,000. Her contract with NWC, signed in 2018, granted a retention incentive of $10,000 for 2018-2019, $12,000 for 2019-2020, and $14,000 for 2020-2021. The contract terms stated that no amount of those bonuses would be paid if Hicswa resigned before June 30, 2021, which she did. Hicswa’s housing allowance was $22,000 annually. 

Watson’s contract runs through fiscal year 2025 and for its duration is automatically renewed at the start of each fiscal year.