Presidential Finalists - North
Seattle Colleges has selected the finalists for the president position at North Seattle College. A series of community forums, one for each candidate, will be held May 20-22.
The following professionals have been selected as finalists. Note, finalists are listed in the order for which they will interview and attend a campus forum at North Seattle College. Biographies and photos were provided by the finalists.
Finalist: Dr. Lisa Cooper-Wilkins
Campus Forum: Monday, May 20, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Location: LB1207 - Library Auditorium
For Zoom link, see email Presidential Search Finalists and Community Forums sent May 1.
Dr. Lisa Cooper Wilkins has deliberately cultivated a career of service
to students with an emphasis on access, diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and success. An Aspen Presidential Fellow, a UC Davis Wheelhouse Aspiring Leaders Institute Fellow, and a Lakin Fellow, she takes pride in being a culturally responsive leader who is deeply committed to the transformational power of the community college and the multiple pathways to success it affordably creates for students. She believes it is her responsibility to advance authentic conversations about race and that students, faculty, and staff with all of their multiple identities must feel seen, heard, and directly engaged in making the necessary systemic changes to our institutions that will close the opportunity gaps impacting the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Dr. Cooper Wilkins was appointed the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at City College of San Francisco in 2020. As she navigated various faculty, administrative and counseling positions in her career from being the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Student Services at Delta College, Dean in Academic Affairs at Community College of Philadelphia, Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement as well as Interim Assistant Provost at University of the Pacific to serving as Counselor/Assistant Professor at Northern Virginia Community College - all in service to students, her colleagues and her profession, Dr. Cooper Wilkins has prioritized holistically supporting and empowering students and employees. With deep respect for the direct impact that employees make to our students, Dr. Cooper Wilkins believes that when employees feel valued and supported, they show up as the best versions of themselves to elevate student success.
In her current role, she has partnered with the institutional advancement and effectiveness team to actively focus on continuous improvement by ensuring equitable access to student services at all locations, leading accreditation efforts related to student affairs, seeking ways to enhance the integration of planning and budgeting, and enacting participatory governance improvements based on evaluation results. Dr. Cooper Wilkins has also collaboratively created greater connections between the divisions of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs as well as advanced external relations by enhancing partnerships with area colleges, community-based organizations, the local unified school district as well as the City and County of San Francisco.
Dr. Cooper Wilkins is the proud recipient of the 2024 NASPA Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean/Vice President of Student Affairs; the 2024 Senior Level Professional Award from the American College Personnel Association’s Senior-Level Community of Practice; the 2020 Distinguished Career/Professional Service Award from Delta Kappa Gamma International Society; the San Joaquin Pride Center’s 2018 Education Champion Award; and the NAACP’s 2017 Medgar Evers Freedom Fighter Award.
She completed her doctoral degree at the George Washington University in Higher Education Administration in addition to master’s degrees from Villanova University in Counseling and Human Relations as well as Psychological Services from Marymount University. Dr. Cooper Wilkins remains actively engaged in public and professional service with a focus on mentoring, early literacy initiatives, and scholarship fundraising.
Finalist: Dr. Naydeen González-De Jesús
Campus Forum: Tuesday, May 21, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Location: LB1207 - Library Auditorium
For Zoom link, see email Presidential Search Finalists and Community Forums sent May 1.
Dr. Naydeen González-De Jesús, raised by a courageous single parent, a former English as a Second language learner, and a first-generation college graduate, believes in the transformative power of education as the greatest equalizer in our society. Dr. González-De Jesús possesses over 20 years of expertise as a practicing educator and administrator, including four years as a foreign service diplomat serving at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As Presidential Project Executive, Dr. González-De Jesús serves as strategic lead for achieving districtwide goals by managing projects throughout a complex matrixed organization of five individually accredited institutions, serving over 70,000 students and employing more than 5,000 faculty and staff. Prior to her appointment as Presidential Project Executive, Dr. De Jesús served as President of San Antonio College serving over 18,000 students, Executive Vice President of Student Success at Milwaukee Area Technical College serving over 32,000 students, and as Vice President of Student Affairs at Bergen Community College serving over 10,000 students. Recently, she led the Unlocking Opportunity program, a post-completion success effort through Aspen’s College Excellence Program as San Antonio College President, and as one of only 10 institutions throughout the U.S. selected to partner in this effort. Dr. De Jesús’s vast domestic and international work has included working with the American Chamber of Commerce in Argentina, providing professional exchange opportunities to English-language teachers internationally, expanding Education USA centers in the Western Hemisphere, liaising Fulbright exchanges, and implementing student support systems and innovative academic structures that lead to eliminating opportunity gaps while increasing retention, accelerating completion, and assessing post-completion success. Dr. De Jesús has worked on multiple multimillion-dollar grants including Bergen Community College’s workforce development $15 million dollar Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant, Bergen’s $2.5 million dollar Developing HSI Title V grant, and $1.9 million dollars at Alamo Colleges District to support Open Educational Resources, among others. She’s worked with faculty and business and industry partners to expand and align curricula to workforce needs.
Dr. De Jesús has earned several accolades including the U.S. Embassy’s Eagle Award for her work in building partnerships and sustainable education pathways between Argentina’s Ministry of Education and the U.S. Department of Education along the margins of the G20 World Summit, including her liaising of international relationships for American Association of State Colleges and Universities member institutions. She’s also earned the Texas Diversity Council 2024 Woman of the Year award for her contributions to elevating diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the scope of her career. In addition to supporting and spearheading student success efforts, Dr. De Jesús has expanded university transfer partnerships, implemented bridge programs to accelerate the success of students in developmental education, and provided leadership to address factors that impact equity, such as food, housing, childcare, transportation, and mental health. Understanding shared governance, she has worked closely with student government leaders to ensure opportunities provided for engagement meet the diverse interests of the student body. Dr. De Jesús has worked with multiple faculty and staff unions and have partnered to develop union contractual agreements, the most recent at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She implemented systems to improve workplace climate and culture such as an ADA Taskforce, a DEI Strategic Plan, and a Workplace Climate Transformation Taskforce at three previous institutions. As a military spouse, Dr. De Jesús acknowledges the sacrifices of our men and women in the military and supports academic pathways to credentials through military workforce experience and education.
Finalist: Dr. Rachel Solemsaas
Campus Forum: Wednesday, May 22, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Location: LB1207 - Library Auditorium
For Zoom link, see email Presidential Search Finalists and Community Forums sent May 1.
Dr. Rachel Solemsaas brings with her a wealth of experience, with a career spanning three decades in progressive public service. Her journey includes nineteen years in leadership and administrative roles at community colleges. What sets her apart is her unwavering commitment to institutions that align with her personal values as an anti-poverty activist and social justice advocate.
She has held significant leadership roles in the community college system, serving as chief executive officer since July 2016. Her journey includes serving as interim president for North Seattle College starting in September 2023 and, before that, as chancellor of Hawai‘i Community College for seven years. She also made substantial contributions as the chief financial officer or chief business officer at Truckee Meadows Community College in Nevada, Bellevue College, and Edmonds College, both in Washington State. Prior to her tenure in the Community and Technical College System, Dr. Solemsaas served Snohomish County and King County in various finance-related capacities, supporting public governance, community development, health, and human services.
Her educational background is a testament to her qualifications as a community college CEO. She holds a doctorate of education with an emphasis on community college leadership from Washington State University, a master’s in public administration from the University of Washington, and a bachelor of science in accounting from De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines. These degrees have equipped her with the necessary skills in business acumen, administration, and community college leadership.
She considers the Pacific Northwest her home. Her humble beginnings as an immigrant started at Lake City Way in Seattle, Washington, in 1986, when her family moved from the Philippines due to opportunities with Boeing. She met her husband, Ron, in Renton and raised their family, settling in Lake Stevens, Washington. Today, they enjoy being grandparents.
She served as Board Director for the American Association of Community Colleges, the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents nearly 1,200 two-year associate degree-granting institutions and over 12 million students. She has also served as a Commissioner for the Northwest Commission for College and Universities since 2020, as the Board Director and past president of the National Asian Pacific Islander Council, and as a member of the Hawai'i Leadership Forum as an Omidyar Fellows.
Her commitment to social causes is evident in her role in Collective Impact Movements and impactful organizations in her community. She played a pivotal role in the establishment of Vibrant Hawai'i, serving as its inaugural board chair. Under her guidance, Vibrant Hawai'i evolved from an anti-poverty movement to a catalyst for creating opportunities and abundance for the Hawai'i Island community. Her dedication to community welfare is further demonstrated by her support for the Child Advocacy Center in Snohomish County, known as Dawson Place, and her appointment as Snohomish County Children's Commissioner.
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