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Updates

Presidential Search Updates

 
The Presidential Search Committee, led by Board of Trustees Chair Sharmila Swenson, who is serving as chair, and Joseph Bowman, who is serving as vice chair, will provide periodic email updates to campus throughout the search process for Highline's next president. The College is excited about the latest update below.
 

Dear Highline College Community,

Thank you for your continued engagement in the presidential search process. Your participation thus far has been extraordinary and reflects the deep commitment our community holds for Highline’s future. We are grateful for the time, honesty, and care you have brought to this work.

Community Engagement and Job Profile Completion

Since February 2026, the Board has been working diligently to plan the search and onboard DSG Storbeck Global, the executive search firm selected to guide this national search. Through listening sessions, focus groups, and a communitywide survey, nearly 300 students, employees, alumni, and external partners, including elected officials and former trustees, shared their perspectives on the leadership qualities needed in Highline’s next President.

This level of engagement has been invaluable. DSG Storbeck Global analyzed the feedback for themes and leadership attributes essential to advancing Highline’s mission, values, and strategic priorities. These insights directly informed the development of the presidential leadership profile. We are pleased to share that the final job profile is now complete and active in the national job market as of June 29, 2026.

Presidential Search Website Launch

We are also pleased to share that the Presidential Search Website is now live. This site will serve as the central hub for updates, timelines, engagement opportunities, and future communications from the Board of Trustees.

Visit the Presidential Search Website: Presidential Search

You are encouraged to check the site regularly as new information will be added throughout the search process.

Search Timeline and Next Steps

The search is progressing on schedule. Our anticipated timeline is as follows:

  • Early Fall 2026: Finalist interviews held on campus
  • Mid Fall 2026: Successful candidate identified
  • January 2027: Expected start date for the next President

The Search Committee remains fully engaged in summer preparation to ensure a strong, well‑qualified pool of candidates for Board consideration. We extend our appreciation to committee members for their dedication and service.

Commitment to Transparency and Community Partnership

This continues to be a Board‑led process, grounded in transparency, shared governance, and alignment with Highline’s mission. We remain committed to selecting a President who will build on Highline’s strengths, advance equity-centered student success, and lead with integrity, courage, and clarity.

If you have questions or additional input, please contact: highlinecollegepresident@dsgco.com

Thank you again for your partnership and for helping shape a process that reflects the strength, diversity, and spirit of the Highline community.

Sincerely, 
Sharmila Swenson, Chair
Highline Board of Trustees

Dear Highline College Community,

The Board of Trustees extends our heartfelt appreciation to every member of the Highline community who has taken time to participate in the presidential search process. Over the past weeks, we have heard from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners and your engagement has been extraordinary. Our consultants shared that Highline approaches the 75th percentile nationally for participation in presidential search survey responses and virtual and in-person listening sessions. This level of involvement speaks to the deep care, pride, and commitment that define our community.Update: Thursday, June 18, 2026

Community Input and Job Profile Development

Your voices are shaping this search in meaningful ways. The themes emerging from listening sessions and written feedback will be woven together into a job profile that reflects Highline’s mission, values, and aspirations. This profile will guide us in recruiting candidates who understand our community, honor our diversity, and are ready to lead with heart, courage, and clarity.

We also want to acknowledge that some in our community have shared that the timeline has felt fast. We hear and respect this feedback. We also want to offer additional context:

  • The Planning Committee has been meeting for the past three months, and working closely with DSG Storbeck within the last month to design a thoughtful, intentional process aligned with the academic calendar.
  • Our consultants have affirmed that while the pace may feel quick, the planning has been structured, deliberate, and grounded in best practices and their expertise.
  • Summer is an optimal time to attract the strongest pool of presidential candidates, which is why the timeline is aligned to this window.

Our goal is to balance thoughtful process with the realities of a competitive national search and to do so in a way that honors the voices and experiences of our community.

About the Community Survey

The community survey is the primary way we are gathering broad input from across Highline. It was designed to capture the same core questions and themes explored in the listening sessions, ensuring that everyone has access to a shared set of prompts and opportunities to contribute. The listening sessions offered a space for conversation and connection, while the survey provides a consistent way for us to gather communitywide feedback.

If you joined a listening session, you are not missing anything by choosing not to complete the survey and the same is true in reverse. Both avenues lead to the same place: your voice helping shape the job profile for our next president. Still, we welcome as many perspectives as possible because the strength of this process comes from the breadth and diversity of our community.

To support broader participation, the survey deadline has been extended to June 24, 2026.

Survey Links:

Upcoming President Search Website

In partnership with our marketing team and DSG Storbeck, we will soon launch a Presidential Search Updates website where the Board of Trustees will share ongoing updates with the campus community. This site will serve as a central, accessible home for information throughout the search process. We hope the website brings transparency, clarity, and reassurance this moment is asking for. Stay tuned for the launch announcement. 

Search Committee and Next Steps

We are grateful to the individuals who have agreed to serve on the Search Committee (see table below). Their commitment to summer work ensures that we are well‑positioned for fall interviews and a strong, well‑prepared candidate pool for Board consideration.

We also want to reaffirm that this is a Board‑led process, and the Board has been fully engaged in its oversight and due diligence at every stage. We are committed to a process that is inclusive, transparent, and reflective of Highline’s values.

Questions or Additional Input

If you have questions or would like to share additional feedback, please contact:
highlinecollegepresident@dsgco.com

Thank you for your continued engagement, your honesty, and your care for Highline. Together, we are shaping a process and a future that reflects the strength and spirit of this community. 

Sharmila Swenson

Chair, Board of Trustees

Highline College

Dear Highline Community,

We invite you to participate in an upcoming listening session to help inform the recruitment of the next President of Highline College. Your voice is essential in shaping the future of our institution.

These sessions will be facilitated by Christopher D. Lee, Ph.D., SPHR, of the third-party consulting firm DSG Global, who will guide the conversation and ensure a thoughtful and inclusive process. Multiple sessions are being offered between now and the end of Spring Quarter. We encourage you to participate in a session that works with your availability.

During these sessions, we welcome your thoughts on:

  • The characteristics and qualities you hope to see in our next President

  • What makes Highline College an attractive and compelling leadership opportunity

  • The key opportunities and priorities the next President should focus on

These conversations are an important opportunity to share your perspectives, aspirations, and ideas as we move forward together.

Warm Regards,

Sharmila Swenson, Chair

Highline College Board of Trustees

Dear Highline Community,

We invite you to participate in an upcoming listening session to help inform the recruitment of the next President of Highline College. Your voice is essential in shaping the future of our institution.

These sessions will be facilitated by Christopher D. Lee, Ph.D., SPHR, of the third-party consulting firm DSG Global, who will guide the conversation and ensure a thoughtful and inclusive process. Multiple sessions are being offered between now and the end of Spring Quarter. We encourage you to participate in a session that works with your availability.

During these sessions, we welcome your thoughts on:

  • The characteristics and qualities you hope to see in our next President
  • What makes Highline College an attractive and compelling leadership opportunity
  • The key opportunities and priorities the next President should focus on

These conversations are an important opportunity to share your perspectives, aspirations, and ideas as we move forward together.

Warm Regards,

Sharmila Swenson, Chair

Highline College Board of Trustees

Please note:

Invites sent to the following Stakeholder groups:

  • Equity Task Force
  • Executive Cabinet 
  • Classified Staff
  • Exempt Staff
  • Faculty
  • Dean Council
  • Faculty Senate/HCEA
  • Foundation 
  • Students 
  • Community At Large

Dear Highline College Community,

As we reflect on the past academic year and the remarkable achievements of our students, faculty, and staff, we are reminded of the profound impact Highline College has on everyone it serves. Our community continues to demonstrate resilience, creativity, and deep commitment to student success. There is an immense collective pride in what we have built together, as well as a shared optimism about where we are headed. Highline College remains a cornerstone of the South King County/South Puget Sound region and continues to transform the lives of students who seek a high-quality education at an affordable price. Our commitment remains steadfast: to foster an inclusive, equitable environment where innovation thrives, and every student is empowered to succeed. 

At the same time, we recognize that this year has brought significant challenges. Our community has navigated moments of uncertainty, organizational strain, and the complexities that come with transition. These experiences have tested us, but they have also revealed our strength, our honesty, and our capacity to move forward together with clarity and purpose. Naming these realities is essential as we begin the presidential search, not as a sign of weakness, but as a reflection of our integrity and our commitment to doing this work transparently and collaboratively.

We also pause to honor the life and legacy of President Dr. John Mosby, whose passing has deeply affected our community. Dr. Mosby led with heart, humility, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every student. His dedication to equity, belonging, and student-centered leadership continues to shape Highline’s identity. We carry his values with us as we look toward the future, and we remain grateful for the many ways he strengthened this institution.

As we embark on the presidential search, we do so with honesty about where we are, pride in what we have accomplished, and confidence in the collective wisdom of this community. Together, we will identify a leader who can honor our past, meet the challenges of the present, and guide Highline into a bold and hopeful future.

As such, we are now formally launching the search for the next president of Highline College. The Board of Trustees is appointing a Presidential Search Committee whose membership will include representatives from the faculty, staff, senior leadership, the broader community, the student body, and the board itself. To support us in this critical endeavor, the College has engaged the national executive search firm DSG | Storbeck. We expect to have our new leader on board Winter 2027. The search process will be thorough, timely, and transparent, beginning with listening to you. A community-wide survey will be a primary vehicle for gathering your input, perspectives, and aspirations for the College’s future. We will also gather feedback through individual meetings with key stakeholders, virtual meetings, and in-person focus groups. Notably, a representative from DSG | Storbeck will visit campus to facilitate these discussions. The insights gathered from our community will directly shape a leadership profile that reflects Highline’s unique strengths, rich diversity, and vibrant culture, enabling us to recruit and select exceptional candidates who deeply align with our mission and values.

To attract a leader of the highest caliber, the presidential search must carefully balance transparency with strict confidentiality. Protecting the privacy of individual candidates is paramount to securing exceptional talent. Thank you in advance for understanding that the best candidates will require this discretion, and that our committee members will be bound by confidentiality agreements. Nonetheless, we are committed to keeping you informed and will soon launch a dedicated search website to provide regular updates to the community.

This is a defining moment for Highline College, and your voice is essential to its success. We strongly encourage you to complete the community input survey—the link is provided below—and share your insights as the process unfolds. Additional details regarding the search timeline and engagement opportunities will be published in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have questions or wish to submit nominations, please direct them to highlinepresidentialsearch@dsgco.com.

With deep appreciation for your continued dedication to Highline College,

Sharmila Swenson

Chair, Board of Trustees

Highline College