Paul Hacking will leave his post as the president of Uintah Basin Applied Technology College at month's end.

Hacking, who held UBATC's top post for seven years, has accepted a position as associate executive director of the Uintah Impact Mitigation Special Service District and associate vice president of regional development for Utah State University.

He will also continue to support UBATC in its community development efforts as directed by the special service district, according to a statement issued Friday by the Utah College of Applied Technology.

Hacking has served in various leadership and administrative roles at UBATC for 16 years. He begins his new job on Feb. 22.

“Paul Hacking has done an outstanding job as the president of the Uintah Basin Applied Technology College,” UCAT President Rob Brems said. “During his tenure the college has experienced remarkable growth, especially in its service to high school students and in assisting the oil and gas industries.”

Hacking has taken the technology college to the “next level,” Brem said, “guiding the college to open a beautiful new campus in Vernal and to better serve all the employers and citizens of the Uintah Basin.”

“The Vernal building was and is great,” Hacking said, “but what I have attempted to do is build people and a legacy at UBATC that others can add to and improve on.

“We have a great team and we have done great things together,” he added. “I have and will continue to have a deep passion for technical education.”

Paul Nielson, chairman of the UBATC Board of Trustees, said he knows that Hacking will be “a superb champion” for technical education and training in the future.

UCAT Board Chairman Tom Bingham said the administration will immediately begin the process of identifying Hacking's successor.

“We expect to appoint an acting president within the next week or so,” Bingham said.