In April, the Peninsula College Board of Trustees unanimously elected Suzanne Ames, Ed.D, as the institution’s seventh president after an extensive, nationwide search process. Dr. Ames assumed the college’s top position on July 1, 2022, and replaces Dr. Luke Robins who took on the role in 2012.
“I am so excited to join Peninsula College and the greater community,” Ames said. “The college has a long history of student success and successful community partnerships that I look forward to furthering. There are tremendous opportunities to put the college at the center of the community to provide meaningful educational opportunities for students and to support economic development throughout the region.”
Prior to her appointment at PC, Ames served for several years as an instructional administrator at Lake Washington Institute of Technology as a Vice President of Instruction, Associate Vice President of Instruction, and Dean of Instruction. Under her leadership LWTech launched many applied bachelor’s and associate degrees, created a mandatory diversity and social justice requirement for students, and implemented student success strategies that closed equity gaps.
Her career in the state’s community and technical college system includes Director of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness at Skagit Valley College, Vice President of Advancement and Executive Director of the Foundation at Pierce College, Director of Communications at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and Director of Marketing and Communications at Cascadia College.
She has taught Business Management courses and serves as an accreditation evaluator for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). She just completed a term as the Vice President of the National Council for Instructional Administrators.
Dr. Ames earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Change from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA; a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from City University in Seattle, WA; and two Bachelors of Arts in Communications and Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. She earned Certificates of Completion from Washington Executive Leadership Academy (WELA) in 2016 and the League of Innovation Executive Leadership Institute in 2017.
“Dr. Ames has worked her entire career preparing for this opportunity and we could not be more pleased that she will be the next President of Peninsula College,” Board of Trustees Chair Mike Glenn said in April. “Her open, collaborative leadership style and commitment to teaching and learning will be a great asset to the College community.”
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