Our President
Dr. Jamilyn Penn is Highline College's Interim President
Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Penn served Highline as Vice President for Student Services as a dedicated champion for student success. She brings broad leadership experience within Washington’s community and technical college system, having served as dean at both Lake Washington Institute of Technology and Clover Park Technical College and later as statewide director of transfer education for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Earlier in her career, she was a program supervisor at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, overseeing budgeting and compliance for 295 school districts.
Dr. Penn began her professional journey as a special education teacher in Texas and later became a tenured English faculty member in Washington’s community college system. She holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from Northeastern University, a master’s in English from Radford University, and a bachelor’s in English and Paralegal Studies from James Madison University. She is a 2023 Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership fellow and a 2024 Aspen Rising Presidents fellow—both nationally respected programs that prepare leaders for executive service in higher education.
Contact email: president@highline.edu
