Dr. Mildred W. Ollée, an educator and administrator with experience at colleges throughout the Pacific Northwest, was named president of Seattle Central Community College in June 2003.
Ollée began her career in higher education as a faculty member at Walla Walla Community College. In 1970, she became a counselor at Seattle Central and rose to the position of Vice President of Student Services, a job she held from 1987 to 1995. In 1995, she became Executive Dean/President of Cascade Campus in the Portland Community College District. At Cascade, Dr. Ollée oversaw a diverse urban college as well as three Workforce Training Centers. Known for her active community involvement and many collaborative projects, Dr. Ollée established successful relationships with local, state, and national agencies that led to increased financial support for the college and awards for excellence in workforce development programs. Her wide-ranging civic activities and board memberships include work with Park Hill Rotary; American Association of Community Colleges Commission on Academic, Student, and Community Development; The President’s Roundtable; United Way; Northwest International Woman’s Conference; Private Industry Council; and Tacoma and Portland Chapters, The Links, Inc. Dr. Ollée earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Seattle University in 1988.
Dr. Ron LaFayette came to North Seattle Community College in July 2001, bringing experience as an educator and administrator at colleges across Washington state. LaFayette began his career in higher education 25 years earlier at Seattle Central Community College, where he served as Assistant Director for the Regional Program for Deaf Students. A clinical and educational audiologist, he had also worked for Bellevue Public Schools and owned his own practice in Seattle. He later served as Associate Dean of Instruction at Seattle Central and Director of the Urban Center at Western Washington University; Executive Vice President at the Spokane Community College District Institute for Extended Learning; interim president for Spokane Community College; and interim Director of Workforce Education for the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Dr. LaFayette has published a number of research papers in his field of education for hearing-impaired adults and has extensive experience consulting with colleges nationally and internationally.
Gary Oertli brings a wealth of community college experience and enthusiasm including three-and-a-half years in the Seattle Community College Colleges – as our interim vice president for Instruction, and interim dean for Business, Information Technology and Creative Arts at Seattle Central. Gary was president and CEO of Shoreline Community College for five years and was honored as President Emeritus when he retired. Prior to that he spent 20 years at Edmonds Community College as a part-time instructor, tenured faculty member, associate dean, dean, executive vice president for Instruction and Student Services, and interim president. Gary is a West Seattle native and graduate of Chief Sealth High School. A diehard Husky, he earned his BA and Master’s of Education in Business from the UW, where he later served as Alumni Association president. He also completed the UW’s Executive Management Program in the Graduate School of Business Administration.
