Dr. Jill Wakefield is recognized for the depth of her experience in community college education and community partnerships. She took the post as Chancellor of the Seattle Community Colleges in January 2009, after serving as president at South Seattle Community College for five years, where under her leadership, the college developed several new programs and an architecturally vibrant campus.
The college was among the first two-year colleges in the state to be approved for an applied bachelor’s degree, and is now offering a successful BAS degree program in Hospitality Management. South also offers four-year degrees on campus through partnerships with City University, Eastern Washington University, and Heritage University. The new Northwest Wine Academy doubled in enrollment over the last year, and its student-produced wines have continued to win awards in industry competitions. South piloted a successful and innovative healthcare training program that combines English language skills with technical training. Earlier this year, the college inaugurated its Georgetown Campus, the former “Duwamish Branch,” with three new buildings and appointment of leadership for the Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center. The Georgetown Campus is becoming widely recognized for developing training to support the growing green economy, and sustainable construction techniques through its apprenticeship programs.
Prior to her service as president, Wakefield held a variety of positions during a 30-year career at South, gaining extensive knowledge of community college administration, the region, and the state’s higher education system.
Wakefield is a community college graduate who earned her associate’s degree from Centralia College, bachelor’s degree in education from Central Washington University, master’s degree in public administration/public policy from the University of Washington, and doctorate in educational leadership from Seattle University.
She has taught as a part-time faculty member at Washington State University, Seattle University and Centralia College. Her research, presentations and publications have been focused on business and college partnerships that lead to more effective training and fund development.
She has been honored as Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations and was selected for the Institute for Executive Management at Harvard University and the Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. Centralia College named Wakefield its “2007 Alumna of the Year.”
