Executive Director to Lead Washington's Community and Technical College System
Dave Paul
Dr. Dave Paul is an award-winning state leader in postsecondary education with 25
years of teaching and administrative experience. Dave has worked at Skagit Valley
College since 2008, serving as Dean of Students, Vice President of Student Services,
and Vice President of Institutional Planning & Effectiveness. He currently is the
Director of Community Relations and teaches American Government. Dave has a background
in helping non traditional students navigate a changing employment landscape, and
he serves on the Island County Economic Development Council and Northwest Workforce
Council.
Dave was elected to the Washington State Legislature in 2018, and his legislative work focuses on education, workforce training, transportation, and community development. He is the Chair of the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee and is a recognized bipartisan legislative leader on dual credit policies. He sponsored legislation in 2023 (House Bill 1316) to create the summer Running Start program and wrote legislation in 2025 (House Bill 1273) to improve CTE Dual Credit articulations. Dave also serves on the Transportation Committee and the Technology, Economic Development & Veterans Committee.
At Skagit Valley College, Dave helped lead key initiatives to improve student outcomes. Several of these programs have been expanded statewide, including establishing an emergency funding system to assist students and creating Guided Pathways to improve advising and better connect students to educational programs and family-wage jobs.
Dave also has significant experience with K-12 schools. He served on his local school board in Ohio, has been an Oak Harbor Educational Foundation Board Member since 2009, and served on the House Education Committee from 2019-2021.
Dave graduated from Seattle University, earned a master's degree from Miami University (Ohio), and earned a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2024, he was selected as the Teacher of the Year at the Whidbey Island Campus. He and his wife, Rachel Anderson Paul, have four children. They live in Oak Harbor with their two dogs.
