Sue Hammond West, MFA, is the Chief Academic Officer and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and also a Professor of Visual Arts at Naropa University. West has taught at Naropa for over 26 years, has been the Dean of the School of the Arts for 8 years with oversight of Visual and Performing Arts Programs, Undergraduate Art Therapy, the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, and Education. As Chair of Visual Arts 20022018, West taught leadership, business, career and life skills within the innovative studio based curriculum. She expanded the art galleries, facilities, and lead ArtTank, an art making open studio, which she hosted for over 10 years.
West began her leadership in roles at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago as Assistant Director of Ox-Bow, and the Registrar/Bursar of Extended Studies. She came to Naropa in 1995 to create the School of Continuing Education. Additional leadership positions include the Director of Education at the Rolf Institute, and Operations Manager at Maruca Design.
Lama Tarchin was West’s contemplative practice mentor 1996-2013. Contemplative leadership trainings include Dan Hessey 2014, Center for Positive Change 2016, Non-Dualism with Rupert Spira 2019, and Maldoma Some 1997 in holding one’s seat. West emphasizes a wholistic view for organizational change, balancing reality with energetic presence. West is a transformative leader, a builder of creative teams, inventive systems, and has a human approach where relationships and truth come first. She is a fierce advocate for social justice, and strives for excellence for all. Her ultimate goal is to ignite the lived experience, to be a zeitgeist to create an exquisite future.
