[CATO] Fw: State Board selects Paul Francis as next executive director

Fri Jun 10 08:43:44 PDT 2022

[Title: SBCTC logo - Description: Compass]

Monica M. Olsson (she/her/hers)

Policy Associate – Accessible IT Coordinator

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

molsson at sbctc.edu<mailto:molsson at sbctc.edu> • o: 360-704-3922 • c: 206-914-7187

sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> • Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> • Facebook: @WASBCTC<https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/>

________________________________
From: Laura McDowell <lmcdowell at sbctc.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 4:23 PM
Subject: State Board selects Paul Francis as next executive director

This message was sent on behalf of Jay Reich, chairman of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Good afternoon,

I’m pleased to inform you that the State Board  today unanimously selected Paul Francis, currently the executive director of the Council of Presidents, to serve as the next executive director of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Paul will assume his new role Aug. 1, pending contract negotiations.

Today’s decision capped a national search led by a committee made up of State Board members, college trustees, presidents, faculty union representatives and SBCTC staff. After conducting interviews, the search committee selected three candidates to advance in the interview process and then scheduled forums to give people inside and outside our college system the opportunity to talk with all three candidates. The State Board reviewed feedback from the forums and then held final interviews in late May.

The State Board thanks everyone who was involved in the hiring process. We are thrilled to have found a leader who has a long history of partnering with our colleges; who will advance our mission around diversity, equity and inclusion; and who understands – to his very core – the unique role we play in uplifting the people and communities of Washington. We look forward to welcoming Paul as our new executive director and we thank Jan Yoshiwara for blazing the trail with her effective and inspired leadership over the years.

With gratitude,

Jay Reich on behalf of the State Board

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

[Compass]Laura McDowell

Director of Communications

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

lmcdowell at sbctc.edu<mailto:lmcdowell at sbctc.edu> • o: 360-704-4310 • f: 360-704-4415 • c: 360-280-0670

sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> • Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> • Facebook: @WASBCTC<https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/>

[Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges logo]<https://www.sbctc.edu/default.aspx>

News Release
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
1300 Quince Street | P.O. Box 42495
Olympia, WA 98504-2495
360-704-4400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — June 7, 2022
Contact: Laura McDowell, 360-704-4310, lmcdowell at sbctc.edu<mailto:lmcdowell at sbctc.edu>

State Board selects Paul Francis as next executive director, pending contract negotiations

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges today selected Paul Francis as the organization’s new executive director. Francis currently serves as executive director of the Council of Presidents (COP), an Olympia-based association of Washington’s six public baccalaureate degree-granting colleges and universities. He will assume his new role Aug. 1, pending agreement on terms of his employment.

[Paul Francis]State Board Chair Jay Reich described Francis 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.

"Paul Francis brings an exciting perspective to our system of colleges," Reich said. "His experience leading strategic initiatives, working with community and education partners, and advancing innovative ideas in service of students will prove invaluable. I'm confident Paul will build upon Washington's community and technical colleges' reputation as national leaders in higher education."

As executive director for the Council of Presidents, Francis works with the presidents of Washington state's six public colleges and universities to set a shared strategic direction for the institutions. He also works with interinstitutional committees, the governor's office and Washington state Legislature on policy affecting the college and universities. Francis also serves as a member of the Washington Student Achievement Council and the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board.

Francis, a first-generation college student, received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Arizona, graduating summa cum laude. He also earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Arizona, serving as president of the MPA student association and was named a Rombach Scholar. Francis also completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program through the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  Pending successful contract negotiations, he will replace retiring executive director Jan Yoshiwara.

"Being selected as executive director is an enormous honor," Francis said. “In my role with the Council of Presidents, I’ve had the great fortune of partnering closely with our state’s community and technical college system. I’ve seen firsthand how the colleges transform lives by giving Washingtonians of all ages and backgrounds the training and education to enter careers and universities. I’m excited to jump in and strengthen the great work already underway.”

Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges comprise the state’s largest system of higher education and serve about 278,000 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.

###

[Facebook]<http://www.facebook.com/wasbctc>

[Twitter]<http://www.twitter.com/SBCTCWashington>

[Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges]<https://www.sbctc.edu/default.aspx>

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 278,000 students train for the workforce, prepare to transfer to a university, gain basic math and English skills, or pursue continuing education.

State Board for Community and Technical Colleges · 1300 Quince Street SE · Olympia, WA 98504 · USA

[Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/email-referral/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=referral_marketing&aid=deef59f1d8ee1e991514ca276&afl=1>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ctc.edu/pipermail/cato_lists.ctc.edu/attachments/20220610/0336b8a7/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1954 bytes
Desc: image002.jpg
URL: <http://lists.ctc.edu/pipermail/cato_lists.ctc.edu/attachments/20220610/0336b8a7/attachment-0001.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Outlook-Title_ SBC.png
Type: image/png
Size: 22672 bytes
Desc: Outlook-Title_ SBC.png
URL: <http://lists.ctc.edu/pipermail/cato_lists.ctc.edu/attachments/20220610/0336b8a7/attachment-0001.png>