Leadership Team
Dr. John R. Mosby, President
Dr. John R. Mosby became Highline’s seventh president in July 2018. His appointment came after a 10-month national search by the college’s Board of Trustees. As president, Dr. Mosby is an open and inspirational leader with a focus on academic excellence and student success. He honors a high-trust work environment in support of collaboration and innovation, centering the student experience and their success in all decision-making and policy development.
Dr. Mosby has more than 23 years of higher education experience and holds a doctorate in leadership/higher education administration from the University of San Diego. Prior to coming to Highline, Dr. Mosby oversaw the Student Services division as vice president at Mission College in Santa Clara, California. Before his work at Mission College, he was a dean at Skyline College in San Bruno, California. From outreach and recruitment to fiscal and institutional planning, Dr. Mosby has rich experience within higher education.
Highline has enjoyed remarkable leadership stability, with only six permanent presidents during its history, which began in 1961 as the first community college in King County.
Dr. Jamilyn Penn, Acting President
Dr. Jamilyn Penn is vice president for Student Services at Highline College. She is a fierce advocate for student success, having served in many roles in our state system. Most recently, she was the statewide director of transfer education for the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges. She has also served in dean roles at Lake Washington and Clover Park Technical Colleges. Dr. Penn possesses a strong fiscal background, as she previously was the program supervisor of Title I and Learning Assistance Program for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. In that role, she monitored 295 public school districts across the state in areas of budgeting and compliance. Dr. Penn began her career in the classroom serving as a special education teacher in Texas. She holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in English with an emphasis on adult learners from Radford University and a bachelor’s degree in English and Paralegal Studies from James Madison University.
Danielle K. Slota, Executive Director and Public Records Officer, Office of the President
Danielle Slota is the executive director of the Office of the President. Danielle engages strategically with the president, the president’s cabinet and the Board of Trustees to advance the mission and goals of the college. Reporting directly to the president, Danielle provides leadership for the strategic and day-to-day operations of the president’s office. Prior to joining Highline College, Danielle worked for the University of Washington from 2011-2018 where she began as an administrative assistant. During her time at the UW, Danielle was promoted to an executive assistant role for the chief of Vascular Surgery, and ultimately to the role of program administrator for the University of Washington’s Vascular Surgery Fellowship. Danielle received her Associate of Arts DTA at South Seattle College and her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Social Sciences at Central Washington University, Des Moines.
Dr. Emily Lardner, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Emily Lardner is vice president for Academic Affairs at Highline College. From 2017-2019, she served as the vice president for instruction at Grays Harbor College. From 1996 to 2017, Emily worked at the Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education, a public service center at The Evergreen State College, where she collaborated with post-secondary faculty, staff and administrators throughout Washington state and nationally to implement strategies aimed at improving student success. She also taught as an adjunct in Evergreen’s Evening and Weekend Studies program. Emily holds a Master of Arts and a doctorate in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Augustana College.
Ay Saechao, Acting Vice President for Student Services
Ay Saechao is the Acting Vice President for Student Services. Ay Saechao has over a decade service to the Highline College campus community in roles such as TRiO Director providing equitable services for first-generation college students, as the Associate Dean for Student Development and Retention, and as the Dean of Student Support & Funding Services. In addition, Ay is actively involved in the community as the founding president of the non-profit organization, Southeast Asian American Education (SEAeD) Coalition. Ay earned a master’s degree in Multicultural Education from University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Oregon State University.
Josh Gerstman, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Josh Gerstman is vice president of the Institutional Advancement team and works to build valuable relationships and establish a meaningful presence within Highline College’s communities, resulting in support for the college and our students. Josh came to Highline with 20 years of experience working in the community and technical college system, primarily at Green River College, where he worked with staff, faculty and community to develop a series of financial interventions to assist students in clearing a path to their degrees. Josh is active in the community as a Kent Rotarian, volunteers with his wife Heather as search dog handlers in King County, and is a father of a recent college graduate. Josh earned a master’s degree at Wayne State University in Detroit and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where he was a tuba player in the Michigan Marching Band.
Dr. Michael Pham, Vice President for Administrative Services
Dr. Michael Pham joined Highline College in 2015 and oversees the Administrative Services division. Previously, he spent over 24 years working for Seattle Central College and Seattle College District in various leadership positions including executive director of Financial Services and vice president of Administrative Services. Michael holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Washington Tacoma and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration.
Dr. Maribel Torres Jiménez, Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Transformation
Dr. Maribel Jiménez is the inaugural vice president for Equity, Diversity, and Transformation at Highline College. She is a first-generation college student that continues to learn to navigate higher education at multiple levels with ancestral knowledge, guidance, and mentoring from the great leaders and pioneers that served before her. Dr. Jiménez has been an educator for over 18 years. She combines nine years of K-12 experience, serving as a teacher and school counselor, and working in higher education. Previously, Dr. Jimenez served as the Dean of Academic Transfer Pathways and Partnerships at Highline College. Her scope of experience includes tenured faculty counselor and Title V grant director at Yakima Valley College. Dr. Jimenez holds a Master of Social Work from Eastern Washington University and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Northcentral University.
Tim Wrye, Executive Director, IT Services and CIO
Tim Wrye leads IT Services at Highline and acts as the institution’s Chief Information Officer (CIO). He joined the college in 1994 and led the Instructional Computing department prior to a merger of Instructional and Administrative technology functions at the college in 2014. Tim currently serves as Chair of the Information Technology Commission, and is a member of the ctcLink Project Steering Committee as well as Highline’s Executive Sponsor for the ctcLink project. Tim holds a master’s degree in Educational Communications and Technology from the University of Washington, and a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University.
Melanie Lawson, Interim Executive Director, Human Resources
Melanie Lawson has joined us with over 20 years of experience in human resources in both the private and nonprofit sectors. She holds degrees in both human resources and business administration. Melanie is a proven strategic HR leader who specializes in policy development and employee engagement. Her approach to human resources management through an equity lens will continue to drive positive change at Highline College while we search for a permanent Executive Director.
Deans
Academic Affairs
- Elizabeth Word: Dean of Academic Pathways & Student Learning Resources
- Gerie Ventura: Associate Dean of Library and Learning Resources
- Justin Dampeer: Dean of Workforce Pathways & Transitions
- Steve Washburn: Associate Dean of ELCAP
- Gabrielle Bachmeier: Dean of Workforce Partnerships and Extended Learning
- Tanya Powers: Associate Dean of BAS Programs
- Jennifer Sandler: Associate Dean of Accessibility Resources
Student Services
- Ay Saechao: Dean of Student Support & Funding Services
- Loyal Allen, Jr.: Associate Dean of Student Funding Services
- Chase Magliocca: Associate Dean for Advising & Running Start
- Isabelle “Izzy” Wroblewski: Associate Dean of Student Life
- Jose "Tony" Garcia: Dean of Advising and Enrollment Services
