The search is being assisted by DSG Storbeck. To apply, please visit the DSG Global webpage: Highline College President
Candidate review will begin immediately. To apply for this role, please submit a letter of interest and resume through the Talent Profile. For best consideration, application materials should be submitted by
August 12, 2026. Review of candidates will continue until the position is filled.
Please visit the Highline College Presidential Search page on the Highline College website.
Highline College seeks an innovative, collaborative, and mission-driven leader to serve as its next President. As one of the most diverse colleges in the country, Highline College is deeply committed to social justice, student success, and creating equitable pathways that empower students to achieve their educational and professional goals. The President will lead this dynamic institution in advancing a vision of belonging, closing opportunity gaps, and strengthening partnerships that enhance the economic and social vitality of the globally diverse communities it serves. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the President will provide strategic leadership that advances Highline's commitment to access, learning, community engagement, and organizational excellence while ensuring the long-term sustainability and impact of the College.
ABOUT HIGHLINE COLLEGE
Since 1961, Highline College has been dedicated to serving the community by offering more than 100 program options aligned with the careers most in demand in the region. As the needs of the area have evolved over time, the college’s classes and programs have adapted to meet those changing demands. Highline College has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 14 portable classrooms housed on the campus of Glacier High School. Now located on a tree filled 80-acre hilltop overlooking beautiful Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, Highline’s location is unrivaled.
The College is located on the ancestral lands of the Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and many other Coast Salish tribes. As such, the college recognizes and honors the Indigenous peoples who have lived on and cared for these lands and waters for generations. Learn more about Highline College’s Land Acknowledgment.
Nationally and internationally recognized as a premier community college, the institution has earned its reputation through a culture that values innovation, globalized curriculum, and community engagement.
Now with over 14,000 students, approximately 1,100 employees (400 full and part-time staff and 700 full and part-time faculty) and more than 350,000 alumni, Highline is one of the state’s largest institutions and one of 34 community and technical colleges in the state of Washington.
Highline is also the most diverse higher education institution in the state, with over 70 percent students of color and people representing more than 120 cultures attending classes at the College. Highline today is nationally and internationally recognized as a premiere community college, a reputation earned through the development of an institutional culture that values diversity, innovation, globalization of curriculum and community participation.
In 2025, the Aspen Institute named Highline College as one of the 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. In addition, in 2023 and 2017, the Aspen Institution named Highline College one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges.
The College offers a wide range of academic transfer, professional-technical and pre-college programs, with day, evening, weekend, and online classes. Along with its comprehensive community college programs, Highline has recently added applied bachelor’s degrees, giving its community members even more ways to meet their educational needs close to home.
Highline graduates include those who are widely recognized for achievement in their various fields:
• Norm Rice, former mayor of Seattle • Ann Rule, author • Alexis Denisof, actor • Dr. Michael Hutchins, zoologist • Brian Scalabrine, former NBA player and current NBA television analyst • Joan Enticknap, banking executive • Dr. T.M. Sell, author, award-winning journalist and Northwest playwright • Joan DuBuque, retired King County Superior Court Judge • Junki Yoshida, CEO of The Yoshida Group • Sam Green, former Washington State Poet Laureate
Highline’s success and the growth demonstrates community and technical colleges are a proven way of providing education and training to support states’ economies and enrich people’s lives.
LOCATION
Highline's main campus is located 20 minutes south of downtown Seattle. Perched on a hill in Des Moines, Washington, midway between Seattle and Tacoma, the main campus overlooks the beautiful Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. Classes are also offered at The Hub: Federal Way Higher Education Center, the Marine Science and Technology Center (MaST) at Redondo Beach and locations throughout the community.
Des Moines, Washington, offers waterfront parks, top-notch restaurants, and a quaint small town feel—all just 30 minutes south of downtown Seattle and 15 minutes from SEA Airport.
HIGHLINE COLLEGE TODAY
Highline College stands at a pivotal and exciting moment in its history. The institution is engaged in a comprehensive transformation designed to strengthen student success, advance equity, and position the college for long-term sustainability and impact. Highline is reimagining how it serves its diverse communities through intentional, institution-wide change.
The College is deep in several interconnected initiatives that are reshaping its future, including the implementation of an innovative Guided Pathways framework, governance restructuring efforts, equity-centered institutional transformation, and the modernization of data systems and decision-making processes. These initiatives are not discrete projects but part of a broader strategy to create anti-racist, equitable pathways that close opportunity gaps, strengthen organizational capacity, and ensure every student experiences a sense of belonging and support.
Highline's transformation is grounded in a commitment to evidence-based decision making and continuous improvement. The institution is investing in modern data infrastructure and a culture of assessment that promotes transparency, accountability, and the effective use of information to improve student outcomes and institutional effectiveness. Through these efforts, the College seeks to align resources, systems, and practices with its strategic priorities of increasing access, improving learning and completion outcomes, deepening community partnerships, and building an inclusive organizational culture.
The next president will inherit an institution with significant momentum and a community eager to continue this important work. The successful candidate will embrace and accelerate these transformational efforts by leading with courage, inclusivity, and strategic vision, building trust across the campus community, and ensuring that Highline's commitment to equity and student success translates into measurable and enduring impact. The president will have a unique opportunity to guide a college that is not merely adapting to change, but intentionally redefining what an equitable, student-centered college can be.
ACCREDITATION
Highline College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the United States Department of Education.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees is a five-member board that is appointed by the Governor of the State of Washington and confirmed by the Washington State Senate. The role of the Board is to oversee all operations of the College. On behalf of the people of the state of Washington, the five-member Board of Trustees governs Highline College by providing strategic perspective and definitive leadership in determining the programs to be provided by the College and by specifying the guiding policies and principles the President will use in operating the College.
MISSION
As a South King County college striving for social justice, Highline College partners with global students as they envision, plan and achieve their educational and professional goals.
VISION
Highline College creates anti-racist, equitable pathways in higher education to close opportunity gaps experienced by our students. We support employees to foster the conditions for student and workplace equity. We accept people as they are and honor the life experience they bring. We are cultivating a collaborative learning community that centers the well-being of the whole person and provides a sense of belonging. We highly regard the families and support systems that enable our success and acknowledge that by working together we are limitless.
VALUES
Highline College seeks to live out these values in everyday practice: Accessibility, Accountability, Cultural Responsiveness and Agency, Environmental Sustainability, Equity-First Focus, Life Long Learning, Partnership with local and global communities, Respect, Social Justice, Student Centered Approaches and Transparency.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, and ACCESS
No matter who students are or where they come from, they are welcome at Highline College. As one of the most diverse colleges in the United States, Highline prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for all students, faculty, and staff, as evidenced through its Mission, Vision, and Values and its unwavering commitment to educational equity and social justice.
Students come to Highline with unique personal experiences, beliefs, identities, and perspectives. Representing more than 100 countries and speaking more than 120 languages, Highline's vibrant and globally diverse community is one of the institution's defining strengths. The College celebrates this richness and intentionally creates an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Highline has earned national recognition for its commitment to student success and equity, including multiple recognitions from the Aspen Institute as one of the nation's top community colleges. The College is also a statewide leader in Guided Pathways implementation and equity-centered institutional transformation, continuously redesigning systems and practices to eliminate barriers and improve outcomes for historically underserved students.
As a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution and an institution advancing an emerging HSI strategy, Highline is intentionally building on its strengths in serving immigrant, refugee, and multilingual communities. The College's globalized curriculum, culturally responsive practices, and deep community partnerships create transformative educational experiences that prepare students to thrive in an interconnected world.
Highline's commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond representation, it is embedded in the institution's culture, strategic priorities, and decision-making. The College is dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging for all members of its community and to ensuring that every student, regardless of background or circumstance, has equitable opportunities to achieve their educational and professional goals and contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve.
STRATEGIC PLAN
The Strategic Plan for Equitable Student Success is a living document that guides the development of annual work plans. At the beginning of the 2022-2023 academic year, the College adopted a set of strategic goals and objectives to guide the College in accomplishing its mission.
Aligned with Highline College Mission, Vision and Values, four broad goals anchor the Strategic Plan for Equitable Student Success to focus actions are:
Access – Increase equitable and representative access to postsecondary educational and career opportunities that lead to social and economic mobility in Highline’s service area.
Learning – Increase equitable learning, retention, completion and transfer rates, and improve labor market outcomes using evidence-based innovation and high-impact practices in and out of the classroom.
Community – Increase breadth and depth of partnerships with K-12, other postsecondary institutions, community-based organizations, employers and government that align with Highline’s strategic priorities and contribute to economic and social vibrancy of communities it serves.
Culture & Capacity – Become an anti-racist college through intentional development of employees, facilities, and systems that support student success and close equity gaps.
DEGREE PATHWAYS
“Guided Pathways is an integrated framework that supports institutional transformation with student success at the center based upon a structured experience, as articulated in Redesigning America’s Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success. Guided Pathways builds institutional capacity to define clear and coherent pathways for degree completion and to ensure learning while on the pathways, leading to completion of a postsecondary degree or credential.” (American Association of Colleges & Universities)
The Guided Pathways framework focuses on addressing key momentum areas including:
Alignment of learning outcomes to labor market and junior level (major ready) competencies for transfer
Excellent anti-racist, equity-minded pedagogy
Clear pathways to achieve those outcomes- students know what classes to take when
Excellent intake and on-boarding processes- fostering a deep sense of belonging for each student • Informed choices- how students choose a pathway and program
Holistic supports- how students are supported to stay on a pathway to completion
This requires challenging assumptions and long standing beliefs, practices, and policies, and is an adaptive, transformative institution-wide change process taking place at the colleges.
A core component of the Guided Pathways framework is the development of clear and coherent maps that integrate academic and support services across the student experience. It starts at students’ entry points to higher education and guides them at each step of their journey to keep them on track to completion.
As one of the three focus areas of Highline’s Degree Pathways, pathway design focuses on the creation and alignment of pathways, programs, and courses that have been thoughtfully designed and scheduled.
Pathways (Meta Majors), Programs of Study, and Program Maps
Outcomes Alignment
Structured Exploratory Experience
ACADEMICS
Highline College offers over 100 degrees and certificates and eight career pathways. No matter where a student is headed, Highline gives them a place to start. Whether they want to earn an associate degree and transfer to a university, complete their bachelor’s degree in King County, or gain hands-on training for their dream job, Highline offers them a place to start.
Seven applied bachelor's degrees
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Respiratory Care
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Services
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education: Leadership & Inclusive Practices
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Elementary Education
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Design
Associate Degrees
Direct Transfer Agreement degree (AA-DTA) is for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college, helping them save time and money. These degrees are designed to fulfill a student’s first two years of university requirements, allowing them to transfer to a Washington state public college as a junior
- Associate in Arts: a transfer degree designed to satisfy the lower-division general requirements at many Washington colleges and universities
- Associate of Science: The AS-T (AS-Transfer) prepares students for the rigors of science and engineering. This degree ensures students have the technical foundation to succeed in a pre-professional field
- Associate of Applied Science: The AAS-T combines technical courses for job preparation and transferable support courses. Transfers to a limited number of institutions
- Associate of Applied Science: The AAS degree is designed for students who want to gain specific, hands-on technical skills and enter the workforce immediately after graduation. Some have pathways to Bachelor of Applied Science degrees.
Highline offers three levels of certification, depending on how much time a student wants to invest and how deeply they want to go into their training
- Certificate of Completion (45+ Credits): A comprehensive deep-dive into a professional technical field. Perfect for starting a brand-new career from scratch
- Certificate of Proficiency (20-44 Credits): A boost to marketability. Perfect for the “skills booster.” Students use this to gain a specific, major skill set that makes them stand out to employers
- Short Term Certificate of Achievement (19 Credits or Less): The fastest way to a credential. These programs usually take just one or two quarters and focus on specific, high-value skills.
Eight Pathways
- Art, Design & Communication
- Business, Hospitality & Tourism
- Education, Human Services & Law
- Health, Wellness & Fitness
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
- ELCAP: English Language, Career and Academic Prep
- Exploratory
Faculty Senate
The Faculty Senate provides a forum for faculty discussion, advocacy and leadership regarding academic affairs. The Faculty Senate serves as a paramount recommending body to the President and Board of Trustees to establish and revise college-wide academic standards, grading policies, degree requirements, and educational outcomes after considering input from all interested parties. Additional information and objectives of the Faculty Senate can be viewed here.
Highline College Education Association
The Highline College Education Association (HCEA) is the faculty union at Highline College. Members include adjunct, lecturer, tenure-track, and tenured faculty.
BUDGET and FINANCES
Highline College operates with an annual institutional budget of nearly $90 million, providing the resources necessary to advance its mission of educational excellence, student success, and community impact. Approximately 52 percent of the College's operating revenues are derived from state allocations, reflecting both the institution's strong partnership with the State of Washington and the importance of effective advocacy and stewardship at the state level. The balance of revenues is generated through tuition, grants and contracts, auxiliary enterprises, and other self-supporting activities that collectively support the College's educational mission and strategic priorities.
Highline's budget encompasses a diverse portfolio of funding streams, including general operations, grants and contracts, and proprietary and restricted funds that support continuing education, student services, and other strategic initiatives. The institution maintains a culture of fiscal responsibility and long-range planning, using financial projections, data-informed decision making, and careful resource allocation to ensure institutional sustainability and operational effectiveness.
Supporting this work is the Budget Advisory Council, a representative shared-governance body that advises the President and senior leadership on budget strategies and priorities, provides input on budget enhancements, adjustments, and mitigation strategies, and offers feedback on annual budget planning and development. Highline's inclusive and transparent budgeting process engages multiple campus constituencies and reinforces the institution's commitment to collaborative decision-making and shared responsibility for financial stewardship.
ATHLETICS
The Highline College Athletics Department is a member of the Northwest Athletics Conference and consists of nine sports: Men’s and Women’s Basketball; Men’s and Women’s Soccer; Men’s Wrestling; Women’s Volleyball; Women’s Tennis; Women’s Fastpitch; and Women’s Golf. Visit the Athletics Website to learn more about the Thunderbirds.
THE ROLE of the PRESIDENT
The President serves as the chief executive officer of the College and is responsible for the effective management and stewardship of institutional resources. This includes providing strategic oversight of financial operations, budgeting, enrollment management, facilities, technology, human resources, risk management, and long-range planning to ensure the College's sustainability and success. The President must demonstrate strong business acumen, utilizing data-informed decision-making to allocate resources effectively, improve operational performance, and maintain fiscal responsibility. Working collaboratively with the Board, executive cabinet, faculty, staff, and external partners, the President will identify opportunities for innovation, revenue growth, and operational efficiencies while ensuring that all business decisions support the College's mission, enhance student outcomes, and position the institution for long-term success.
Equally important, the President must embody the leadership competencies that inspire confidence and strengthen institutional effectiveness. The ideal candidate will be a trusted, ethical, and resilient leader who demonstrates sound judgment, strategic decision-making, and the ability to navigate complexity with transparency and integrity. The President be a servant leader who will foster meaningful relationships across and beyond the campus, build consensus among diverse stakeholders, lead effectively through periods of uncertainty and crisis, and cultivate an inclusive environment where all members of the College community feel valued and heard. Combining academic credibility with relational strength, adaptability, and a steadfast commitment to the mission of the college, the President will create the conditions necessary for long-term institutional success and lasting community impact.
THE NEXT PRESIDENT WILL PRIORITIZE
A Student First Culture
The next President will foster and champion a student-centered culture in which every decision, initiative, and investment is guided by its impact on student success, access, belonging, and achievement. As the institution’s chief advocate for students, the President will cultivate an environment that prioritizes academic excellence, holistic support services, workforce and transfer readiness, and meaningful student engagement. The President will work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and community partners to remove barriers to student persistence and completion, strengthen pathways to educational and career success, and ensure that all students feel valued, supported, and empowered to reach their goals. Through visible leadership, active listening, and a deep commitment to the student experience, the President will inspire a culture of care, responsiveness, and continuous improvement that places students at the center of the College’s mission and future direction.
Fiscal Sustainability and Operational Excellence
The President will provide visionary leadership to ensure the long-term fiscal sustainability and operational effectiveness of Highline College. Working collaboratively with the Board, senior leadership team, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders, the President will steward the College’s financial resources through strategic planning, disciplined budgeting, enrollment focused decision-making, and the pursuit of new revenue opportunities. The President will champion a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and data-informed decision making, ensuring that administrative processes, academic operations, and resource allocation align with institutional priorities and student success goals. By balancing innovation with responsible stewardship, the President will strengthen the College’s financial foundation, enhance organizational effectiveness, and position the institution for sustained growth and impact in service to the Des Moines community and beyond.
A Campus Climate of Engagement
The President will lead efforts to cultivate a positive, inclusive, and collaborative campus climate where faculty, staff, and community partners feel respected, valued, and connected to the institution’s mission. Through transparent communication, visible and present leadership, and authentic engagement, the President will foster trust across the College community and create opportunities for meaningful dialogue and shared governance. The President will promote a culture of belonging, mutual respect, and accountability while addressing challenges proactively and constructively. By championing employee engagement, supporting professional growth, celebrating diverse perspectives, and strengthening relationships both on and off campus, the President will build a vibrant and welcoming environment that enhances morale, supports institutional effectiveness, and advances student success. The President will intentionally build trust through authentic relationships, ethical leadership, and inclusive practices that encourage collaboration, strengthen institutional resilience, and foster a sense of shared purpose across the College community.
Workforce Alignment and Program Innovation
The President will provide strategic leadership to ensure the College’s academic and workforce development programs remain responsive to evolving regional, state, and national workforce needs. Working closely with employers, industry leaders, government agencies, and community partners, the President will champion the development, enhancement, and expansion of high quality programs, credentials, and training opportunities that prepare students for in-demand careers and lifelong learning. The President will foster innovation and agility, encouraging the regular assessment of program relevance, the integration of emerging technologies and industry trends, and the creation of clear pathways between education and employment. By strengthening partnerships and aligning institutional offerings with workforce demands, the President will position the College as a leading talent development engine that supports economic growth, employer needs, and student career success.
Community Engagement
The President will serve as the College's chief ambassador, cultivating and strengthening relationships with local government leaders, business and industry partners, K–12 and higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, alumni, and community stakeholders. This role requires active engagement in the community to build trust, advance strategic partnerships, and create collaborative opportunities that support student success, workforce development, and regional economic vitality. The President will identify and expand mutually beneficial partnerships that enhance academic programs, increase experiential learning opportunities, attract resources and investment, and position the College as a valued and responsive community partner. Success in this role will require a leader with exceptional relationship building skills who can establish credibility quickly, listen deeply to diverse perspectives, and cultivate enduring partnerships grounded in trust, transparency, and mutual benefit.
Charting the Path Forward
The President will provide a clear, compelling vision and strategic direction for the College, aligning institutional priorities with emerging opportunities and challenges in higher education. This leader must possess the courage and judgment to make difficult decisions, balancing short-term realities with long-term institutional success. Through periods of change and transformation, the President will foster trust, transparency, and accountability while maintaining a steadfast focus on student success, organizational effectiveness, and mission fulfillment. The successful candidate will bring the vision, integrity, resilience, and relational leadership necessary to unite stakeholders around shared goals, make strategic decisions in complex and rapidly changing environments, respond effectively to challenges and crises, and lead the institution forward with purpose, inclusivity, and an unwavering commitment to long-term institutional success.
Qualifications and Experience
The successful candidate will possess an advanced degree from an accredited institution; a terminal degree is strongly preferred. In addition, the ideal candidate will bring a broad range of leadership experiences, professional accomplishments, and personal attributes that demonstrate readiness to lead a comprehensive community college in a rapidly evolving higher education environment.
Candidates should demonstrate a deep commitment to the mission and transformative impact of community colleges, coupled with the vision and courage to innovate in response to changing student, workforce, and community needs. The next president will have a strong understanding of higher education governance and the ability to navigate complex decision-making processes while effectively collaborating with governing boards, state agencies, and leadership.
The successful candidate will be a strategic and forward-thinking leader with a record of identifying opportunities, solving complex challenges, and developing creative solutions that advance institutional goals. Experience building and sustaining partnerships with business, industry, government, K-12 schools, universities, and community organizations is highly valued, particularly when those partnerships expand educational access, strengthen workforce development, and enhance institutional impact.
The ideal candidate will possess broad administrative leadership experience, including oversight of financial management, budgeting, human resources, information technology, compliance, risk management, and operational effectiveness. They will also demonstrate an understanding of academic affairs, workforce education, and student success initiatives, along with a commitment to shared governance, transparency, and open communication.
Candidates should have a proven ability to lead strategically while fostering trust, collaboration, and consensus among diverse stakeholders. Strong project and change management skills are essential, including the ability to guide large-scale initiatives from concept to implementation through effective planning, resource allocation, assessment, and accountability.
Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills are required. The successful candidate will be an effective advocate for the institution, capable of engaging a wide range of internal and external audiences through persuasive written, verbal, and interpersonal communication. Experience securing grants, cultivating philanthropic support, leading fundraising efforts, and developing public-private partnerships is highly desirable.
Finally, the next president will demonstrate a commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment that values diverse perspectives and experiences. They will bring a passion for expanding workforce and economic development opportunities, particularly in high demand fields such as healthcare, information technology, cybersecurity, and other emerging industries critical to regional and statewide prosperity.
Leadership Competencies for Success
Trust Building and Relationship Management
Ethical Leadership and Integrity
Strategic Thinking and Decision Making
Resilience and Adaptability
Crisis Leadership and Change Management
Communication and Transparency
Inclusivity and Cultural Competence
Collaboration and Shared Governance
Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
Visionary and Mission-Driven Leadership
