Whatcom Community College President Kathi Hiyane-Brown received the 2014 Chief Executive Officer Award at the recent Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges annual meeting in Yakima.
The award recognizes President Hiyane-Brown’s dedication to student achievement and her focus on offering innovative academic and professional-technical programs that prepare students to successfully transfer to four-year schools and to excel in their careers. Among her accomplishments, supporters noted her ability to engage with partners to advance goals, her focus on campus diversity, and the development of professional development programs for faculty and staff.
“Dr. Hiyane-Brown is a critical thinker and forward-focused leader who excels at convening people, tasking them to think about what Whatcom can and should be, now and in the future, and then listens closely,” says Sue Cole, chair of WCC’s Board of Trustees. “For the past seven years, she has excelled at building essential community partnerships, provided exceptional leadership, and created an inclusive and progressive culture. Working with the campus community, President Hiyane-Brown has transformed a rural community college into a center of excellence in programs such as healthcare, cybersecurity and business.”
Dr. Hiyane-Brown was named Whatcom’s fourth president in 2007. She previously served as president of Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn., and vice president for academic and student affairs at Tacoma Community College as well as leadership and instruction roles at colleges and universities in Hawaii, Iowa and Arizona. She serves on numerous national, state and local associations dedicated to student success and community service.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award from an organization whose mission is to ensure quality, affordable, and lifelong educational opportunities for all the people of Washington state,” she says. “I am proud to represent Whatcom Community College’s outstanding faculty and staff who have dedicated their careers to this same ideal. We all share the same passion to see students succeed and to become active citizens in a global society.”
Whatcom Community College is an accredited, comprehensive two-year college with an accomplished faculty and staff who serve 11,000 students annually. On its campus in Bellingham, Wash., and through online courses, Whatcom offers transfer degrees, professional and technical training programs, as well as basic education, job skills, and Community & Continuing Education classes. For more information, visit www.whatcom.ctc.edu.
The Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges (TACTC) is comprised of all the trustees of the 30 two-year college districts in Washington and is the “trade association” for trustees. TACTC provides support and coordination for trustees in the areas of education, communication and advocacy.
