Carrie Besnette Hauser

State Agency Representative
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission

Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser is president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College. CMC has been a leader in outdoor education for decades, offering dozens of degrees and programs in outdoor recreation leadership, sustainability studies, natural resources, avalanche science, ski area operations and others.

Hauser has also held leadership roles at the Kauffman Foundation, Metropolitan State University of Denver, the Daniels Fund, and the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, earned her master's and Ph.D. degrees from UCLA, and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of Business.

An outdoorswoman and athlete committed to access and equity issues, Hauser has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, climbed to the Mt. Everest basecamp, and is nearing completion of Colorado's "14ers." She held the proud title of "Swamper" while working many summers for Hatch River Expeditions in Grand Canyon National Park. She and her husband enjoy skiing, hiking, boating, biking, and exploring the Rocky Mountain West and remote places around the world.​​