NOLS President Sandy Colhoun to Step Down at Year’s End

NOLS announces that Sandy Colhoun will step down as President. After reflection with his family this past August, Colhoun informed the Board of Trustees of his decision. He will remain in the role through the end of the year, focused on the school’s campaign, its closest supporters, and a careful handoff to the next leader.

Colhoun, a former NOLS trustee, stepped off the Board to serve as Interim President in early 2023, a time when the future of the school was uncertain. NOLS was still feeling the effects of the pandemic, with finances under strain, fewer students enrolling, and core systems overdue for investment. Following a presidential search, the Board unanimously elected him the seventh president of NOLS that October.

“He has led one of the most consequential turnarounds in NOLS’ history,” said John Babcock, Chair of the NOLS Board of Trustees. “We asked him to lead through difficult change. He did, and the results speak for themselves.”

During Colhoun’s tenure, NOLS cut its annual cash burn from $9.6 million to under $1 million and grew its cash and investments to $103 million, driven in part by nearly $40 million raised from alumni and friends over the last four years . Expeditions open enrollment rose 15% over the previous year, the first meaningful reversal of a 15-year decline. NOLS Wilderness Medicine generated $8.7 million in revenue this year and continues to grow.

“NOLS is on much stronger footing, students are returning in growing numbers, and there is real momentum across the school,” said Colhoun. “But what I will remember most is not the numbers. It is the people. I have had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary colleagues, partners, trustees and alumni who care deeply about this school and were willing to question old assumptions, make difficult decisions, and keep moving forward. Just as we ask our students to do in the field.”

Under Colhoun, NOLS updated its core systems, and both a redesigned website and a new admissions process launched this fall. The school is well positioned for its next chapter.

To find the school’s next leader, the Board has created a Presidential Search Committee led by trustees Neil Fiske and Brad Hirsch. Over the coming weeks, the committee will gather input from instructors, staff, alumni, donors, and partners on what NOLS needs in its next president.

“To the instructors who carry NOLS into mountains, rivers, classrooms, and communities around the world: you are the heart of this school,” said Colhoun. “It has been the greatest privilege of my professional life to serve NOLS.”

“Sandy leaves the school on much stronger ground, and the Board is committed to building on it,” said Babcock. “Sandy, on behalf of the Board and the entire NOLS community: thank you.”