Rachel Solemsaas

Dr. Rachel Solemsaas serves as the interim president of North Seattle College. She began her work at North on September 19, 2023, coming to Seattle Colleges after serving as chancellor of Hawai’i Community College within the University of Hawai’i multi-college system.

Dr. Solemsaas served as chancellor of Hawai’i Community College on the Big Island for seven years. The college is part of a 10-campus system. She has held a number of leadership positions, including chief financial officer or chief business officer at Truckee Meadows Community College in Nevada, and Bellevue College and Edmonds College in Washington. Prior to joining the community and technical college system, Dr. Solemsaas served Snohomish and King counties in various capacities in finance, related to public government, health and human services.

She brings a wealth of experience in mission fulfillment and accreditation as an experienced peer evaluator and commissioner for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, serving California, Hawai’i and Pacific Islands). Throughout her career, she has remained committed to fighting poverty and, specifically, its impact on communities of color.

Dr. Solemsaas educational background brings three distinct skill sets as a CEO, namely business acumen, administration, and community college leadership. She earned 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.