Museum of Idaho’s executive director joins the CEI board
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IDAHO FALLS – Following the resignation of Park Price from the College of Eastern Idaho board, a new person has been appointed in his stead.
During a special meeting on Sept. 8, the board selected Jeff Carr for the vacant seat. Carr will fill the remainder of Price’s term, which expires in November. Carr tells EastIdahoNews.com he has since filed for re-election and will appear on the November ballot.
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Carr says he is “honored” to be accepted for the position.
“I’m really excited. I have nothing but good things to say about the College of Eastern Idaho. It is one of the most important organizations in our community, and I think that we all need to do everything that we can to support it,” Carr says.
Carr says education is important to him, and he enjoys spending his professional life contributing to organizations that “move the community in good directions.”
He recalls the 2016 decision to turn Eastern Idaho Technical College into a full-fledged community college, and he’s proud of how it’s grown since then.
Carr went on to teach a humanities course at the college for about five semesters.
Carr says these connections are what motivated him to run for this position.
“Community colleges bring so much good to all sectors of society,” he says. “They help educate all of us, they help young people find jobs, and they serve as a nexus of intellectual activity for everyone. It’s a really important engine for helping people better themselves.”
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Carr says he’s eager to help build upon the school’s recent success, including the completion of the Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building, in partnership with Frontier Credit Union. He praises the board’s leadership and CEI president Lori Barber, and Carr says he wants to help the board in its efforts to ensure that the new building is used to its fullest extent.
“One of the other things I’d like to do in this role is help the rest of the community engage with campus more and help the rest of the community understand what an incredible gem they have here,” says Carr.
The 41-year-old man brings an array of experience to the volunteer position. He works full-time as the executive director at the Museum of Idaho, a role he’ll continue to hold.
He previously served as board chairman for Alturas International Academy and Alturas Preparatory Academy during the development of the new secondary school and later continued as a member of the Alturas board.
Carr was born and raised in Idaho Falls. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Utah State University and a master’s degree in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies from Stanford University. Earlier in his career, he worked in journalism and communications and served as a Russia and Eastern Europe analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency.
He got a job with the Museum of Idaho after returning to Idaho Falls and was hired as the executive director in 2022.
As he steps into this new role, Carr says he’s impressed by the administration’s dedication to serving students and excited to be part of it.
“Student success comes first, and that’s how it should be. I think it’s really cool,” he says.