Peter Lindstrom

Peter has been with CCD since 2009 and currently serves as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. His previous roles at CCD include Dean of Instruction for the Arts, Communication, & Design pathway, Dean of the Education pathway, Dean of Math, English, & the First-Year Experience, Dean of the Center for Math & Science, Director of the Teaching Learning Center & Online Learning, D2L Coordinator, Instructional Designer, Assistant Professor of Developmental English, and Instructor of Developmental English. 

He began his higher education career in the classroom as an adjunct instructor, immediately feeling the call to serve students. Like many students at community colleges, Peter balanced two jobs during this transition period, continuing as the owner/operator of a small interior trim carpentry business while teaching classes on campus two days a week. The two worlds he navigated could not have been more different: the construction industry was contracting during the Great Recession, while higher education was expanding. As contractors and laborers faced diminished stature amid cost-cutting and widespread bankruptcies, professors and education were increasingly valued for their role in retraining the workforce. While residential construction focused on cost savings and profit, CCD focused on helping students realize their dreams. It was this student-centered mission, coupled with the diverse experiences brought by CCD students, that resonated with Peter’s core value of making positive change in the world. Transitioning to a full-time faculty role, he closed his carpentry business to fully dedicate himself to higher education. 

Peter has lived in Colorado for most of his life, growing up in Boulder. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and English Literature from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. 

Like many faculty, staff, and students at CCD, Peter comes from a diverse family in terms of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identification, socioeconomic status, and political and religious views. His family includes Christians, Buddhists, atheists, union tradespeople, and CEOs, with roots in both California and Japan, representing a wide political spectrum. Yet, they gather, respect, and celebrate each other. These close family relationships continuously reinforce and inform the equity work that has been a central feature of Peter’s tenure in higher education.

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