Board of Trustees Meeting
Location
Hybrid Meeting Format: offering both in-person and virtual meeting access
Minutes
Attendees
Board of Trustees: Chair Johnson, Vice Chair Swenson, Chair Exstrom, Trustee Bowman
Executive Cabinet: Interim President Penn, Tony Garcia, Danielle Slota, Rolita Ezeonu, Josh Gerstman, Maribel Jimenez, Melanie Lawson, Marco Lopez for Michael Pham, Tim Wrye
Assistant Attorney General: Justin Kjolseth
Study Session call to order: 9:17 a.m. once quorum was established
Discussion Topics
Review of trustee role in the tenure review process, Dr. Rolita Ezeonu (10 min)
Review of proposed 2026-27 student fee schedule for proposed motion in February 2026, Marco Torres-Lopez for Dr. Michael Pham (15 min)
Updates to recommendations received in the 2025 Accountability Audit Management Letter
- Theft-Sensitive Assets Policies & Procedures, Tim Wrye (10 min)
- Payroll: Special & Retroactive Earnings as Extra Compensation, Melanie Lawson (10 min)
- Shared draft “Special and Retroactive Pay Policy” – VP Lawson noted we need to add more language around stipend processes to her shared draft.
Presidential recruitment – discussion of potential approaches, Chair Swenson
The goal is to develop a transparent structure around the process that the college will use for it’s next presidential search. Co-chair structure with two BoT members. BoT retains final hiring authority. VP HR, AAG, and one other EC member highly engaged in the process to help with coordination of search firm, stakeholder engagement, logistics, etc. Advisory input from an interview panel with broad campus and community representation to work with the consultant as well as the applicants. Typical cost for a search firm around $70-$80k. An RFP will be required to select the search firm.
Next steps: assignment of trustee co-chairs and EC reps for search firm process
Meeting adjourned at 10:04 a.m.
Board of Trustees Meeting
Location
Hybrid Meeting Format: offering both in-person and virtual meeting access
General Session Minutes
Roll Call
Board of Trustees: Chair Johnson, Vice Chair Swenson, Chair Exstrom, Trustee Bowman
Executive Cabinet: Interim President Penn, Tony Garcia, Danielle Slota, Rolita Ezeonu, Josh Gerstman, Maribel Jimenez, Melanie Lawson, Marco Lopez for Michael Pham, Tim Wrye
Assistant Attorney General: Justin Kjolseth
General Session called to order: 11:00 a.m.
Approve minutes
Approve minutes of the regularly scheduled meeting of Dec. 11, 2025
Trustee Exstrom motioned to approve, Trustee Johsnon seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
Opportunity for public comment
Diego Luna – speaking on behalf of division to voice concerns with the proposed timeline for the VP Academic Affairs search. In general higher education practice, it is not without risk to bring on a VPAA if their future president has not been selected. Concerns this will impact the applicant pool. Also spoke to the ongoing stress and fear that ICE actions in king county are causing. Wanted to elevate the individuals in our community who are most vulnerable and the individuals that support and work with those individuals. Lastly, on March 4th Highline College will be hosting Policy Camp for a packed morning learning about public policy and how to get involved. Ask for the board: still looking for individuals and organizations who would be a good fit for the resource fair at Policy Camp. Encouraged trustees to contact Diego Luna or Jennifer Ritchey.
Standing reports
Associated Students of Highline College – Jasmine Nyabigo
HB2550 was drafted as a direct result from the recent legislative breakfast here on campus and addresses accessible and affordable transportation. ASHC next intends to bring forward free high-eligibility two year programs; required student trustees on CTC boards (HB1495); and a modification toe financial aid eligibility (HB1568)
Highline College Education Association – Dr. Doug Avella Castro
Expressed gratitude to Dr. James Peyton for his service to HCEA. Lobbying in Olympia created opportunity to hear stories from faculty and students about the critical work being done to support our students and the critical work our students do after their time at Highline. Spoke to the exhaustion of our ELCAP faculty and the extra support they are providing their students in reminding them that in these uncertain times, they matter as individuals and a collective. HCEA, in collaboration with administration, has developed a committee dedicated to adjusting to national level policy. Encouraged us as a community to think about how we treat the least privileged among us. Voiced that HCEA stands behind WPEAs desire to continue bargaining locally. Stated that allowing them to bargain in their home place of employment is how we show them that they matter.
Faculty Senate – Cathay Cartwright
VPAA joined Senate at their recent meeting and shared information about the proposed course approval process. Senate submitted followup questions. Senate is happy to see an increase in Executive leadership on campus and hopes that it continues. Senate shared concerns about the timeline for the VPAA search and how it may impact the candidate pool. They recently reviewed a new degree proposal for Applied Science in Animation and Character Design. Lastly, Senate shared concerns about the proposed changes to the Policy Development Council and wants to ensure there will still be room for constituency voices.
Highline College Foundation – Sharon Vail
Spoke to the success of community events offered as “experiences” sold at the Highline College Foundation. Financial notes – $35k in emergency tuition scholarships in winter quarter, $107k supporting summer STEM, $15k added to nursing scholarships, $10,000 from BECU Foundation for Academic Gaps, $5,000 from Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, and $5,000 from King County Support for Veterans Assistance Funds
WPEA – George Babcock
Shared that the WPEA is happy to hear that BoT meetings are now being recorded and shared through the college youtube page. Happy to hear that the governor included the funding for their contract in the proposed budget, lobbying efforts continue as they work to ensure that it remains in the final budget. WPEA is looking forward to this new year with the transition of college leadership and hopeful this will be a step toward morale improvement and steps toward keeping bargaining local.
Action items
None
Area reports
Administrative Services: Marco Lopez for VP Michael Pham
Recognized students in the room for the hard work they are doing on campus. Written report stands as submitted.
Academic Affairs: Interim VP Rolita Ezeonu
Spoke to the impacts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s impacts on her and the individuals on this campus. Spoke to her personal experience moving from Honolulu, HI to Pullman, WA and the impacts Dr. King’s vision and mission and wisdom were instrumental in shaping her own thoughts on social justice. Written report stands as submitted.
Student Services: Interim VP Tony Garcia
Thanked the board for welcoming him into the interim position. Written report stands as submitted.
Institutional Advancement: VP Josh Gerstman
Celebrated student, trustee, HCEA, WPEA, and President Penn’s involvement in current legislative session. Celebrated the link rail extension. Written report stands as submitted.
Equity, Diversity and Transformation: VP Dra. Maribel Jimenez
Echos the sentiment of how the work and mission of Highline College echos the sentiment of Dr. King. Spoke to activity on campus today with Highline Public Schools, King County Dept. of Education, and Northwest Public Schools on King County Promise. Written report stands as submitted.
Information Technology Services: CIO Tim Wrye
Major shift in student activation process of OKTA Verify and how all users reset passwords due to the retirement of some back-end software. Special efforts made on the look and usability on the student end.
Human Resources: Melanie Lawson
Expressed gratitude to Dr. Avella Castro and HCEA in their partnership recently in relation to commencement. Provided an update that Labor Management meetings with WPEA are now back on the calendar and lines of communication are being opened. Written report stands as submitted.
Interim President’s remarks
Acknowledged Dr. King and encouraged community members to read her remarks on service in her submitted written report. Spoke to the excitement of engaged faculty and students on campus. There is a lot of work to do! Has made the physical move from building 6 to building 12. Her door is open and she is accepting meetings, encouraging communication across campus. Spoke to her weekly communication plan with the trustees and the campus community, pointing to her Friday report outs. Strong and engaging short legislative session. Thanked VP Gerstman and Shakira Ericksen for helping her lift into the legislative session, putting her in front of the right people, and the consistency of meetings to meet with keep personnel both in our consortium and in the system. On the docket this session are big issues concerning funding for our system. Spoke to the importance of remembering that we are a community college here to serve the community. Wanted to let the college community know that EC continues to lean in to the information collected in the December listening sessions. Communication is scheduled for Friday, Jan 22 speaking to some action items that are being taken “now” in response to some of that feedback. Accreditation is looming and work on the strategic plan continues. Spoke to work with next steps on the strategic planning council as well as the upcoming Guided Pathways report. Welcomed Tony Garcia into the position of Interim Vice President, Student Services. Lastly, spoke to Campus View (CV) student housing. Highlighted the CV residents and the sense of belonging that residents feel holistically. 18 CV residents earned a 4.0 gpa in fall with an additional 26 earning a 3.5 gpa.
Unscheduled business
New business
Adjournment
General Session was adjourned: 11:58 a.m.
Minutes Signed and Approved
The meeting minutes from Jan. 22, 2026, were approved and signed into record by Chair Swenson and Acting President Jamilyn Penn on Feb. 19, 2026
Mission Statement: As a South King County college striving for social justice, Highline College partners with global students as they envision, plan and achieve their educational and professional goals.