[BLC] FW: RELEASE: State Board selects Nate Humphrey as next executive director, pending contract negotiations

Tue May 27 14:59:55 PDT 2025

Sharing out a system announcement below.

Ken

From: Katie Rose <krose at sbctc.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2025 4:51 PM
To: pio at lists.ctc.edu; SBCTC Weekly Wrap <weeklywrap at sbctc.edu>; sbctc_legislative_news at lists.ctc.edu; ssem at lists.ctc.edu; Development, Advancement, Fundraising - WA CTC only. Other higher education by invitation. <devoadv at lists.ctc.edu>
Subject: RELEASE: State Board selects Nate Humphrey as next executive director, pending contract negotiations

This message was sent on behalf of Martin Valadez, chair of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Good afternoon,
I’m pleased to announce that members of the State Board this afternoon unanimously selected Nate Humphrey to serve as the next executive director of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Nate will assume his new role July 1, pending contract negotiations.
Today’s announcement is the culmination of months of hard work by State Board members, students, State Board staff, college trustees, presidents, and union representatives. Nate Humphrey was selected from five outstanding finalists. We’re grateful to all of them for their time and consideration of this role.
On behalf of the State Board, thank you to everyone who participated in the national search process for the executive director. That process began early this year with the help of Academic Search, a firm dedicated to conducting search processes such as this. Once a job description was finalized, a 10-person search committee made up of representatives of the State Board, State Board staff, college presidents, college trustees, labor unions, and students conducted an initial screening and selected five finalists. College system stakeholders met each of the candidates in open forums to learn more about their qualifications and provide feedback. State Board members reviewed that feedback and held final interviews last week.
The State Board is grateful to everyone for the robust conversation about this important position and the person best suited to lead the system into its next chapter. We’re excited to have found a leader in Nate who has dedicated himself to community college education and who believes in our vision of leading with racial equity to maximize student potential and transform lives within a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in service to our diverse communities. We have no doubt that Nate understands the critical role he will play in continuing to build upon our system’s strong national reputation and advance it into the future. We look forward to welcoming Nate as our new executive director, and we thank Chris Bailey for his dedicated service as interim executive director over these past six months.
With gratitude,
Martin Valadez on behalf of the State Board

Sent to: Trustees, presidents and State Board staff
cc: State Board

From: SBCTC Communications <sbctccommunications at sbctc.edu<mailto:sbctccommunications at sbctc.edu>>
Subject: RELEASE: State Board selects Nate Humphrey as next executive director, pending contract negotiations

[Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges logo]<https://sbctc.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=deef59f1d8ee1e991514ca276&id=8c2754e3fa&e=eac0b86a7d>
News Release
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
1500 Jefferson St. SE | P.O. Box 42495
Olympia, WA 98504-2495
360-704-4400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — May 22, 2025
Contact: Katie Rose, 360-704-4367, krose at sbctc.edu<mailto:krose at sbctc.edu>

State Board selects Nate Humphrey as next executive director, pending contract negotiations

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges<https://sbctc.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=deef59f1d8ee1e991514ca276&id=b9d51e6f11&e=eac0b86a7d> today selected Nate Humphrey as the organization’s new executive director. Humphrey currently serves as director for workforce and regional economies at Jobs for the Future, a national nonprofit focused on connecting education and the workforce. He will assume his new role July 1, pending agreement on terms of his employment.

State Board Chair Martin Valadez described Humphrey as a passionate leader with a background well-suited to advance the community and technical college system, close racial equity gaps and improve student completion rates.

“Nate Humphrey’s unique experience in education and nonprofits will provide our system of colleges a fresh perspective at this critical time,” Valdez said. “His expertise in partnerships, student and equity-centered learning, policy development, and employer and community engagement will prove invaluable. I’m confident Nate will continue Washington’s community and technical college system’s excellent legacy and lead it into its next chapter.”

At Jobs for the Future, Humphrey leads large-scale national initiatives, including Communities of Practice for the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge, and the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration’s Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Program.

Humphrey previously served as the associate vice president for workforce and continuing education at the North Carolina Community College System and as the workforce education director at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, a master’s degree in Public Affairs from UNC Greensboro, and is currently completing his Doctorate in Community College Leadership at North Carolina State University’s Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. Pending successful contract negotiations, he will replace interim executive director Chris Bailey.

“I’m tremendously honored to be selected as the next executive director of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges,” Humphrey said. “I’ve dedicated my career to advancing student success, economic vitality, and equitable opportunity. Washington’s community and technical colleges’ transform the lives of thousands of students of all ages and backgrounds as they work toward their goals. I’m excited to get to work.”

Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges comprise the state’s largest system of higher education and serve about 290,000 students. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges oversees the system, sets policy, allocates state operating and capital funds to the colleges, strategically plans the two-year college mission, and approves educational programs.

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About the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is led by a governor-appointed board and provides leadership, advocacy, and coordination for Washington’s system of 34 public community and technical colleges. Each year, about 290,000 students train for the workforce, prepare to transfer to a university, gain basic math and English skills, or pursue continuing education.

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