SEATTLE – Mark Mitsui, an administrator with experience at community colleges throughout Western Washington, has been named as the next president at North Seattle Community College. He will begin his responsibilities at North on July 1, 2010.
Mitsui is currently vice president at South Seattle Community College. He was selected following a national search and recommendations made by a campus-wide committee to Jill A. Wakefield, chancellor of the Seattle Community Colleges, which include North, South and Seattle Central Community Colleges.
“Mark Mitsui is an innovator who understands what will be needed to build on the success of the college and to achieve the vision that North has set for itself,” Wakefield said. “With his long history in the region, he also understands our city and what we need to accomplish to best serve it.”
Mitsui has served as vice president of Student Services at South Seattle Community College since 2006, where he directed successful initiatives to increase student progress and retention. He led a team that secured a $2.4 million Department of Education grant and designation for the college as one of a select group of Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions across the country. He was formerly assistant dean for Student Services at Green River Community College. Earlier, he was at North Seattle Community College as director for Student Success and Retention Services, director of Athletics, and as manager of the Wellness Center. His career also includes experience as a tenured instructor in health and fitness technology at Renton Technical College.
Mitsui is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Washington, where he also earned his master’s degree in this field. He has a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University. In both higher education and the community, he is well-known for his presentations on diversity and student retention, and for his work in organizations such as the Japanese-American Citizens League, Asian-Pacific American Directors Coalition, and the Washington State Student Services Commission.
North Seattle Community College serves more than 16,500 students annually in credit- and non- credit programs. The new president will direct a workforce of 715 full- and part-time employees at the campus, which was established in 1970 and is located five miles north of downtown in the Northgate neighborhood. The college is widely recognized for its integrated studies, elearning and college transfer programs. North also offers more than 50 professional-technical programs, including those in emerging fields such as nanotechnology, information technology for healthcare, and green real estate. A new anesthesia technician program is among the first in the Western states. The college is a signer of the American College and University Presidents Climate Partnership; the campus includes several acres of environmentally sensitive wetlands which inspired the college- wide commitment to sustainability.
The Seattle Community Colleges educate 53,000 students every year at North Seattle, Seattle Central and South Seattle Community Colleges, and at the Seattle Vocational Institute. College presidents are part of the district-wide leadership team who report to the district chancellor and also serve as vice chancellors responsible for coordinating specific district-wide areas such as instruction and student services.
