Jeff Johnson of Olympia was appointed by Governor Gregoire to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges effective July 2006.Jeff Johnson of Olympia was appointed by Governor Gregoire to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges effective July 2006.
Johnson currently serves as organizing and research director for the Washington State Labor Council. He previously taught economics and labor studies at the Labor College in New York City. Johnson earned his B.A. in political science from Georgetown University and an M.A. from the New School for Social Research in New York.
He also serves as a member of the UAW and a lawyer with the National Employment Law Project.
Beth Willis of Lakewood has been appointed by Governor Gregoire to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges effective November 2006.
Willis is director of corporate affairs for the World Trade Center, Tacoma, a non-profit membership-based organization, which serves as the primary state resource for international trade information, service and business referrals.
Willis is a board member of the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, immediate past president of the Pierce County Arts Commission, and board member for the World Affairs Council. She is a former board member for the Washington State Historical Museum, Wing Luke Asian Museum, past president of the Trustees Association for Community and Technical Colleges, and former trustee for the Pierce College district.
The Clark College board of trustees named Bob Knight, vice president of administrative services, as interim president effective August 2006.
Knight joined Clark College in 2004 as vice president of administrative services, where he has supervised the day-to-day operations of the college campus.
Prior to joining Clark, Knight held positions in management, sales and service in the private sector. He served more than 21 years as an infantry officer in the United States Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel, with secondary training as a comptroller. He holds an undergraduate degree in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an executive MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
The Bellingham Technical College Board of Trustees appointed Desmond McArdle to serve as interim college president during their president search process. The appointment was effective October 23.
McArdle served as the director of Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute from 1982-1991 and, with the transition to Bellingham Technical College, assumed the position of president from 1991 through 2001. Since his retirement, McArdle has remained an advisor and resource to the college.
A request for proposals will be issued for a president search consultant in early November with an anticipated start to the search process beginning in early January 2007.
The Clover Park Technical College board of trustees appointed Dr. John Walstrum to serve as the college’s next president effective October 2.
Walstrum last served as the executive vice president for academic affairs at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He has extensive experience in technical education, including 14-years of service as a vice president in the areas of academic and student affairs. He holds a doctorate in industrial education, a master’s in technical education and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education.
Walstrum will be the college’s third president.
Governor Gregoire has named Dr. Rajiv Shah to the board of trustees of Seattle Community Colleges replacing outgoing board member Yvonne Sanchez.
Shah serves as a director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and manages the foundation's agricultural development and financial services for the poor programs.
Shah attended the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Wharton School of Business, University of Michigan and the London School of Economics. He has served as a health care policy adviser to presidential candidate Al Gore, worked at the World Health Organization and co-founded a consulting firm.
New appointment at Bates Technical CollegeThe board of trustees of Bates Technical College announced the appointment of Dr. Ivan Gorne as vice president of student services.
Gorne holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education from Pacific Lutheran University, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Puget Sound. He comes to Bates with more than 30 years of experience in education at both the administrative and teaching levels.
Most recently, he served as the vice president of student services at Highline Community College, and has held administrative positions at Southern Oregon University, Edmonds Community College and Central Washington University.
Yakima Valley Community College announced two new administrative positions.
Following a national search, Teresa Holland accepted the position of vice president for administrative services, effective August 1.
Holland served YVCC as the director of accounting services for the past five years. Prior to her work at YVCC, Holland worked at Central Washington University in its accounting division. Holland has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in professional accountancy from Central Washington University.
Tomás Ybarra, former YVCC dean of student services, was appointed interim vice president for instruction and student services for the 2006-2007 academic year. Ybarra replaced Dr. Anthony Beebe who accepted a presidency at San Diego Community College. YVCC will conduct a national search for the vice president of instruction and student services and will appoint the permanent position in June 2007.
Ybarra has served as dean for the past three years and has 30 years of experience in higher education. He previously served as dean of student services at Bellevue Community College, and special assistant to the president. He is active in community service and helped to found the Eastside Latino Leadership Forum of East King County, and is currently active in the Coalition Latino/Chicano del Valle de Yakima.
Kathy Payant, instructor and department chair of the Skagit Valley College business management program, was elected by college marketing educators from Washington state as the president/chair of the Washington Marketing Management Educators Association (WMMEA).
WMMEA consists of educators and administrators who are advisors for the Delta Epsilon Chi professional organization, the collegiate level of DECA.
Delta Epsilon Chi is an international professional organization for college students who are preparing for a variety of careers. Delta Epsilon Chi programs engage students from a variety of educational disciplines and maintains a strong focus on business-related areas such as marketing, management and entrepreneurship.
Renton Technical College President Dr. Donald E. Bressler has announced that he will retire from his position effective June 30, 2007.
Bressler, who is starting his 43rd year in education, started his career in vocational education in 1963 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. He has served in a variety of administrative positions including vice president of student services at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and president of Spokane Community College.
Bressler was appointed president at Renton Technical College in July 2000. During his tenure, the college has continued to be recognized as a regional, state and national leader in workforce development, literacy education and economic development, as well as a key stakeholder in Renton and surrounding communities. RTC serves approximately 16,000 students annually, with about 3,600 full-time equivalent students receiving training in one of 70 career training or basic studies programs.
Locally, Bressler’s work has made RTC a vital partner in community initiatives such as the city of Renton’s Community Marketing Campaign (“Ahead of the Curve”) as well as in philanthropic ventures such as the Renton Community Foundation. He is a member of the Board for the Renton Rotary Club, is on the city of Renton’s Blue Ribbon Committee, is a member of the Advisory Committee of Renton Communities in Schools, and is serving his second term on the board of directors for the Greater Renton Chamber of Commerce.
North Seattle CC names interim vice president for instructionMary Ellen O’Keeffe is the new interim vice president for instruction at North Seattle Community College (NSCC). O’Keeffe, the college’s executive director of professional-technical programs and workforce education, succeeds Karen Demetre in the vice president’s role. She will retain her workforce education responsibilities.
O’Keeffe’s background includes stints as an administrator, instructor, nonprofit organization founder, social worker, and Peace Corps volunteer.
Prior to joining NSCC in 2002, O’Keeffe was dean of the health and human services division at Edmonds Community College, where she provided leadership for seven instructional departments. At Edmonds, where she was tenured as a family life education instructor in 1994, O’Keeffe also planned and implemented a major remodel of two divisions and generated nearly a half million dollars in grant funds.
An American Council on Education Fellow, O’Keeffe received her doctorate of education in educational leadership from Seattle University.
Dr. James Bennett been named the first vice president for equity and pluralism at Bellevue Community College (BCC).
Bennett will lead the development and implementation of programs to promote diversity and intercultural understanding.
Bennett has worked at BCC since 1978, when he joined the college as a counselor in the minority affairs program and English as a Second Language and language arts instructor. Since 1990, he has been serving as dean of instruction.
Prior to joining BCC, Bennett held various teaching and administrative posts at Macalester College, Metropolitan State University and Metropolitan Community College in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.
Bennett earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Washington and holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree from Mankato State University and Macalester College, respectively.
Dr. Sandy Wall accepted the position of interim vice president of administrative services at Peninsula College for the upcoming academic year. Wall began on September 5 and will continue through June 30, 2007.
Wall retired as director of administrative services at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges in April 2005, where she also previously served as director of legislative and system relations and assistant director of student services. Wall also served as interim deputy director of academic programs for the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Peninsula College will begin the search for a permanent vice-president in January.
Cascadia Community College announced its new vice president of student success services, Dr. Richard Carvajal.
Carvajal previously served as dean of student services for Independence Community College. Prior to his time at Independence, he served as the associate dean of student services at Coker College in South Carolina and held related positions at Eureka College (Illinois) and Southern Illinois University.
Carvajal earned his doctorate in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina, a master of science in education from Southern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree from East Central University (Oklahoma), where he was the institution’s outstanding graduate.
Edmonds Community College Foundation board member Vaughn Sherman received the Benefactor of the Year award for the Northwest region of the Council for Resource Development, a professional organization devoted to fundraising at two-year colleges. He was honored at the regional meeting in Seattle and will also be recognized at the group’s national meeting in November in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this year, Sherman received the first Lifelong Leadership Award from Washington state’s Trustees Association for Community and Technical Colleges for promoting the value of community and technical college education and championing access to education for all students seeking to improve their lives. Sherman served as a trustee of Edmonds Community College from 1981-1996 and, since then, on the Edmonds Community College Foundation board.
Sherman’s commitment to community college education dates back to 1981 when he attended his first commencement at Edmonds Community College as a new trustee. He was already an advocate for community colleges when in 1993 he won $8 million in the Washington state lottery. He and his wife, Jan Lind-Sherman, directed a share of the windfall to Edmonds Community College, Martin Luther King Elementary School and Compass Health and have continued to serve as custodians for the organizations.
Clark College’s Rosalba Pitkin, program coordinator for ESL and Latino outreach, was recently appointed to serve on the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs by Governor Chris Gregoire. The one-year appointment, which began September 11, runs to August 2007. In this role, Pitkin serves as the commissioner representing Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties.
The commission ensures that state programs are providing assistance to the Hispanic community and advises state agencies on developing and implementing policies, plans and programs focusing on the needs of the Hispanic community.
Born and raised in Mexico, Pitkin worked diligently to adapt to life in the United States, as noted recently in Mi Gente, a Spanish publication that featured a biography on Pitkin in their August 2006 issue. Beginning with English as a second language classes, she worked her way through the higher education system in the U.S. to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.