Colorado Mesa University (CMU) President Timothy Foster will be retiring from CMU on June 30, 2021, after 17 years.

In a school-wide email, Foster said the decision was to spend more time with his family and open a new chapter of his life.

Foster had considered retiring last year but felt it was inappropriate to do so given the beginning of COVID-19 and the opening of Hotel Maverick.

In his time as President, Foster increased enrollment by over 60% before the pandemic and oversaw the construction of numerous projects and extensions for the university, including the recently-completed Hotel Maverick and Aspen Hall. His navigation of COVID-19 also saw the university being among a few in Colorado to continue with in-person classes.

Before his time at CMU, Foster served in the Colorado House of Representatives, and later served as the head of the Department of Higher Education, and was also the executive director for the Colorado Commission of Higher Education.

“At the end of the day, life is a series of tradeoffs and I assure you I am not going home to watch the grass grow,” Foster’s email said.