Gov. Bob Ferguson on Jan. 6 appointed Jeff Wagnitz of Olympia as a member of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Wagnitz brings to the board over 40 years of experience with Washington's community
and technical colleges as a faculty member and administrator. Beginning his career
as instructor at Spokane Falls Community College and Big Bend Community College in
Moses Lake, he continued teaching at Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen before becoming
a division chair and then its vice president of instruction. He finished his career
as vice president for academic affairs at Highline College in Des Moines.
In 2016, he received the Award of Excellence in Leadership from the Washington Community and Technical College Leadership Development Association in recognition of his contributions to education and the community.
"I know from direct experience that, at their best, community and technical colleges can be powerful engines of democracy, human development, prosperity, and community-building," he said. "Beyond providing high-quality career, transfer, and basic skills education, our colleges regularly stand up to meet the needs of their district's residents, whether it's retraining workers after a layoff, providing language instruction to new immigrants, reengaging youth who've left high school, or partnering with employers to fuel local economic development."
While he retired from Highline College in 2019, Wagnitz continues his service to higher education as College Spark Washington board member and Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities evaluator, team chair and training facilitator.
Wagnitz took classes at Spokane Falls Community Colleges before going on to earn a bachelor's degree in English and master's degree in English/Community College Instruction from Eastern Washington University. He also received a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Washington Tacoma.
The nine-member, governor-appointed Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges provides leadership, advocacy, and coordination for Washington’s system of 34 public community and technical colleges. Each year, over 300,000 students train for the workforce, prepare to transfer to a university, gain basic math and English skills, or pursue continuing education.
Wagnitz succeeds Ben Bagherpour of Vancouver.
