Dr. John Mosby has been named the next president of Highline College. During a special meeting May 31, the college’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously on the selection.

He is slated to join Highline in July 2018.

Mosby currently serves as vice president for student services at Mission College in Santa Clara, California, part of the West Valley Mission Community College District.

He has more than 23 years of higher education experience and holds a doctorate in leadership/higher education administration from the University of San Diego.

The selection follows a 10-month national search to fill the vacancy left by Dr. Jack Bermingham, who retired in August 2017 after more than a decade as president.

Dr. Jeff Wagnitz will continue to serve as interim president until Mosby assumes the post, after which he will return full time to his previous role as a vice president.

Mosby will be the college’s 7th president.

Founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County, Highline today serves 17,000 students and is the most diverse higher education institution in the state, with more than 70 percent students of color.

About Dr. John Mosby

Dr. John Mosby currently serves as vice president for student services at Mission College in Santa Clara, California.

As vice president, Mosby oversees the Student Services unit of the college, including all categorical programs, Admissions and Records, Financial Aid, Health Services, Counseling, International Studies, Athletics and a number of other programs and services.

In addition, Mosby provides direction and oversight for the Student Success and Support (3SP), AANAPISI (Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions), Student Equity and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grants.

Before joining Mission College in January 2015, Mosby was a dean at Skyline College in San Bruno, California. He has been serving higher education for over 23 years.

A staunch advocate for student success, Mosby continues to serve in various capacities within higher education, developing new programs and services, and has served on numerous committees addressing the areas of fiscal and institutional planning, accreditation, educational policy, enrollment management, equity and access at both the local and statewide levels.

His professional history includes rich experiences across a variety of higher educational settings. He has served in undergraduate and graduate admissions, outreach and recruitment, advancement and residential life in the community college, California State University and private college systems.

His work experience also includes that of adjunct faculty, teaching undergraduate-, graduate- and doctoral-level courses at the community college and four-year institutions. His research interests are rooted in the belief of servant leadership, social justice and equity.

Mosby holds a doctorate in leadership/higher education administration from the University of San Diego, a master’s degree in educational and counseling psychology from the University of the Pacific and a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Mary’s College.

He was selected as a 2017–18 Aspen Presidential Fellow for Community College Excellence, a rigorous 10-month executive leadership program for aspiring community college presidents, led by the Aspen Institute. He was just one of 38 leaders selected across the nation. Other professional activities and affiliations include:

• Association for California Community College Administrators (ACCCA)
• California Chief Student Services Officers Association (CSSO)
• College Board Western Regional Council, Guidance and Admission Committee chair
• National Council on Black American Affairs (NCBAA)
• Western Regional Council on Black American Affairs (WRCBAA)