Office of the President

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Our President

Welcome to my web page at Bellingham Technical College. I hope you will find this an additional source of information—and please note the links to the right.

As Bellingham Technical College’s new president, it is motivating to see how Bellingham Technical College so effectively serves our students and community through innovative professional technical education programs, varied general education courses and excellent student support services

We are proud to be this community’s technical college and to have served 5,401 students last year. Our Board of Trustees, administration, faculty and staff are committed to ensuring that students receive an exceptional educational experience, thus fulfilling our mission to “provide student-centered, high quality professional technical education for today's needs and tomorrow’s opportunities.” BTC has many positive attributes to recognize. Most notable is that - in a time of declining state-funded enrollments - BTC’s enrollment increased during the 2015-16 academic year. Out of the state’s 30 districts, Bellingham was one of only seven to increase state-funded enrollment. This positive shift can be attributed to our dedicated faculty and staff, our Strategic Enrollment Plan and the tandem efforts of multiple departments working at every level to expand access to our programs and be responsive to our students’ needs with the goal of improving enrollments and, ultimately, student success.

Our relationships with community, business, and industry partners continue to grow in strength, and BTC’s reputation reflects our pursuit of excellence. We are proud to announce several new partnerships with local school districts. The new IMPACT! Program is geared toward re-engaging at-risk youth and getting them back to school to earn their diploma, GED, or professional technical credits. BTC has also established new Dual Credit pathways (including College in the High School, Running Start, Tech Prep, and Advanced Placement) into BTC programs in partnership with high schools across Whatcom County, as well as a new Dual Enrollment website.

BTC continues to augment our offerings to students and enhance post-graduate opportunities by developing new degrees that transfer directly into bachelor's degrees. While maintaining our focus on workforce education, BTC has added transfer degrees that include multiple engineering degree pathways and composites engineering technology. We are also very proud of the strides we have made in developing proposals to offer new Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in Engineering Technology and Operations Management. In addition to these expanding degree opportunities, BTC has added new general education and academic transfer courses to our roster in the effort to make BTC a destination for transfer courses in our community.

BTC has great things happening. Come and visit our campus anytime—we welcome you!

Sincerely,

Board of Trustees

BTC is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees. Each member is appointed by the governor, and serves a five-year term.

The Board’s activities include strategic planning, policy creation, appointing the College President, approving operating budgets, and awarding tenure.

For additional information regarding the Board of Trustees please contact the College President's office at 360.752.8334.


Debbie Ahl Trustee picture
Debbie Ahl

Appointed to the BTC Board of Trustees in November 2011. Current Board Chair.

CAREER PROFILE:

Founder and Managing Partner, Edgewater Advising. Currently works with small businesses and entrepreneurial startups to support economic growth in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. (Retired) President & CEO Sterling Life Insurance Company. (Retired) President & CEO, Olympic Health Management Systems, Inc.

EDUCATION PROFILE:

Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Washington University in Communications.

COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

Joint Quality Committee for Peace Health St. Joseph Hospital. Board for the Center for Excellence in Management Education for the College of Business & Economics, Western Washington University.

Jeff Callender Trustee picture
Jeff Callender

Appointed to the BTC Board of Trustees in February 2016. Current Board Vice Chair.

CAREER PROFILE:

Retired Regional Public Affairs Director for Phillips 66, based in Ferndale. His public affairs career included employment at Security Pacific Bank, Union Oil Company, and CIBA Vision.

EDUCATION PROFILE:

B.A. in political science from Claremont Men’s College, and a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola Marymount University.

COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

He has served on boards for the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Los Angeles' International Trade Education Program, Habitat for Humanity, YWCA advisory board, Boys and Girls Clubs of Whatcom County, the Bellingham Technical College Foundation, the Northwest Washington Economic Council, the Bellingham Whatcom Chamber of Commerce, and the Association of Washington Business.

Lisa Woo Trustee picture
Lisa Woo

Appointed to Bellingham Technical College’s Board of Trustees May 2011

CAREER PROFILE:

Woo has been a property developer since 1999, owning and managing multi-use properties and has worked as a Washington State Realtor since 1998. She is also a commercial property and small business owner, having owned the Gateway building downtown and Red Berry since 2007.

EDUCATION PROFILE:

Woo received her education from Western Washington University, Fairhaven College.

COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

Former: WWU Foundation Board member, Mt. Baker Theatre Board of Directors, Downtown Renaissance Network and Korean Realtors Association.

Jim Groves Trustee picture
Jim Groves

Appointed to the BTC Board of Trustees November 2009 and served as Board chair 2011-2016.

CAREER PROFILE:

Journeyman Electrician, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 191. Whatcom County Central Labor Council, recording secretary.

EDUCATION PROFILE:

Attended BTC and graduated from Bellingham High School

COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

Whatcom County Central Labor Council.

Bradley Smith Trustee picture
Bradley Smith

Appointed to the BTC Board of Trustees in March 2018.

CAREER PROFILE:

Dean of Huxley College of the Environment at WWU (1994-2012); Prior experience includes: Director of the Office of Environmental Education for the US Environmental Protection Agency; Special Assistant to the administrator of the EPA; and, Acting Associate Administrator for the EPA. Dr. Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senior Executive Service in 1991. In addition, he was a professor of political science and biology, Director of Michigan’s Tobico Marsh National Refuge and also served as adjunct faculty at the Air Force Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment

EDUCATION PROFILE:

Ph.D. from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and the Environment.

COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission, current Chair; Bering Sea Fisheries Advisory Board; National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology; National Environmental Education Foundation; North Pacific Research Board; member of the Arctic Working Group; Washington State Sea Grant Board; and, Washington State Sustainability Commission.

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