Laura K.

About Laura K.

I am a highly effective Education Industry Leader with 15+ years of experience and leadership within collegiate workforce and transfer programs. I offer guidance on program development, business operations, change management, and process improvement projects for higher education. Throughout my career, I have developed a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and have become a champion for inclusive organizational recruitment and data driven equity initiatives. Skilled in strategic planning, data visualization, curriculum design, HR, and budget administration, I am an expert in department management and oversight for multiple divisions and teams. I am known for my ability to translate detailed analysis reports into easily digestible explanations for a diverse audience of executives, faculty, and staff. As a servant leader committed to ethics, cultural diversity, collaboration, and cross-functional relationships, I possess a proven track record in identifying a program’s challenges, producing quality solutions, and achieving academic support for student successes. CORE COMPETENCIES:Community Engagement Program Implementation Process Improvement Talent Acquisition Cross-Functional Leadership Business Operations Project Management Strategic Planning Workforce Development Enrollment Management Contract Negotiation Data Driven Equity

Experience

1. Executive Dean, Georgetown Apprenticeship & Pre-apprenticeship, Interim

   South Seattle College

   Aug 2022 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   Leads daily operations of WA State’s largest Apprenticeship generating FTE programs and South College’s 2nd largest FTE generating program with 200 classes per quarter and students annually• Oversees 5 buildings, 19 programs, and an $8M budget while ensuring programs operate smoothly • Manages a department of 6 staff and up to 50 faculty, conducting recruiting, onboarding, training, performance reviews, and correct action plans when needed to ensure student success • Coordinates credits and hours to align Pre-Apprenticeship goals to Apprenticeship program goals• Creates and presents trainings to staff on contracts, equity, workforce development, and culture • Analyzes operational workflows and processes to identify strategic areas for efficiency improvements • Contributes to the President’s Cabinet of 9, collaborating on a campus-wide $24M budget, including assessment and accreditation reporting, policies, procedures, human resources, and compliance• Focuses on DEI initiatives to ensure underrepresented students achieve success by tracking data, updating initiatives with organizational recruitment, and partnering with similarly invested programs • Partners with Institutional Research (IR) to analyze inclusion advocacy effort within hiring practices • Implements a human-centered design team approach and changes to communication at all levelsKey Accomplishments: • Successfully negotiated 8 of 16 Apprenticeship programs paying contact hour tuition to partially or fully paying tuition based on the credit, despite a 50% increase in credit tuition from contact hour• Facilitated the revision of 6 program’s curriculum and course outlines, resulting in an improved instructional quality, and a greater alignment between college standards and related supplemental instruction (RSI) apprenticeship standards to reflect current curriculum and industry trends • Chaired hiring and funding for Pre-Apprenticeship Director role, increasing partner support by 50%+

Education

• Pacific Lutheran University

  BA

• Western Washington University

  Master's degree

Skills

• Program Development
• College Teaching
• Higher Education
• Distance Learning
• Teacher Training
• Instructional Design
• Staff Development
• Student Development
• Educational Leadership
• Leadership Development
• Leadership
• Creative Writing
• Academic Advising
• Esl
• International Education
• Student Engagement
• Teaching
• Public Speaking
• University Teaching
• Curriculum Development
• Editing
• Grant Writing
• Tutoring