Executive Cabinet
Dr. John R. Mosby, President
Dr. John R. Mosby became Highline’s seventh president in July 2018. He is the chief executive, administrative, and education officer of the community and derives authority from, and is responsible to the Highline College Board of Trustees. The president’s primary responsibility is to provide a vision for the college and continuous leadership and direction for the planning and operation of all aspects of the college’s programs and services in conformity with board policies, rules and regulations, and state law. The five-member board of trustees provides a strategic perspective and definitive leadership in collaboration with the president in operating the college. Dr. Mosby has more than 23 years of higher education experience, having served as vice president for Student Services at Mission College and dean at Skyline College, both located in California. His work experience includes that of adjunct faculty, teaching undergraduate-, graduate- and doctoral-level courses at community colleges and four-year institutions with research interests rooted in the belief of servant leadership, social justice and equity. Dr. Mosby holds a doctorate in leadership/higher education administration from the University of San Diego, a master’s degree in educational and counseling psychology from the University of the Pacific and a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Mary’s College.
Danielle K. Slota, Executive Director, Office of the President
Danielle Slota is the Executive Director of the Office of the President. Danielle engages strategically with the president, president’s cabinet, and the Board of Trustees to advance the mission and goals of the College. Reporting directly to the president, Danielle provides leadership for the strategic and day-to-day operations of the president’s office. Prior to joining Highline College Danielle worked for the University of Washington from 2011-2018 where she began as an Administrative Assistant. During her time at the UW Danielle was promoted to an Executive Assistant role for the Chief of Vascular Surgery, and ultimately to the role of Program Administrator for the University of Washington’s Vascular Surgery Fellowship. Danielle received her Associate of Arts DTA at South Seattle College and her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Social Sciences at Central Washington University, Des Moines.
Dr. Emily Lardner, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Emily Lardner is vice president for academic affairs at Highline College. From 2017-2019, she served as the vice president for instruction at Grays Harbor College. From 1996 to 2017, Emily worked at the Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education, a public service center at The Evergreen State College, where she collaborated with post-secondary faculty, staff and administrators throughout WA State and nationally to implement strategies aimed at improving student success. She also taught as an adjunct in Evergreen’s Evening and Weekend Studies program. Emily holds an MA and a doctorate in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan, and a BA in English from Augustana College.
Dr. Jamilyn Penn, Vice President for Student Services
Dr. Jamilyn Penn is a fierce advocate for student success, having served in many roles in our state system. Most recently, she was the statewide director of transfer education for the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges. She has also served in dean roles at Lake Washington and Clover Park Technical Colleges. Dr. Penn possesses a strong fiscal background, as she previously was the program supervisor of Title I and Learning Assistance Program for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. In that role, she monitored 295 public school districts across the state in areas of budgeting and compliance. Dr. Penn began her career in the classroom serving as a special education teacher in Texas.
Joshua Gerstman, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Josh Gerstman works with the Institutional Advancement team to build valuable relationships and establish a meaningful presence within Highline College’s communities, resulting in support for the college and our students. Josh has 20 years’ experience working in the community and technical college system, primarily at Green River College, where he worked with staff, faculty and community to develop a series of financial interventions to assist students in clearing a path to their degrees. Josh is active in the community as a Kent Rotarian, and along with his wife Heather as volunteer search dog handlers in King County, and as a father of a graduating high school senior. Josh earned a master’s degree at Wayne State University in Detroit and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where he was a tuba player in the Michigan Marching Band.
Dr. Michael Pham, Vice President for Administrative Services
Michael Pham joined Highline College in 2015 and oversees the Administrative Services division. Previously, he spent over 24 years working for Seattle Central College and Seattle College District in various leadership positions including executive director of financial services and vice president of administrative services. Michael holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Washington Tacoma and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration.
Dra. Maribel Torres Jiménez, Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Transformation
Dr. Maribel Jiménez is the inaugural vice president for Equity, Diversity, and Transformation at Highline College. She is a first-generation college student that continues to learn to navigate higher education at multiple levels with ancestral knowledge, guidance, and mentoring from the great leaders and pioneers that served before her. Dr. Jiménez has been an educator for over 18 years. She combines nine years of K-12 experience, serving as a teacher and school counselor, and working in higher education. Previously, Dr. Jimenez served as the Dean of Academic Transfer Pathways and Partnerships at Highline College. Her scope of experience includes tenured faculty counselor and Title V grant director at Yakima Valley College. Dr. Jimenez holds a Master of Social Work from Eastern Washington University and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Northcentral University.
Tim Wrye, Chief Information Officer
Tim Wrye leads IT Services at Highline, and acts as the institution’s Chief Information Officer (CIO). He joined the college in 1994, and led the Instructional Computing department prior to a merger of Instructional and Administrative technology functions at the college in 2014. Tim currently serves as Chair of the Information Technology Commission, and is a member of the ctcLink Project Steering Committee as well as Highline’s Executive Sponsor for the ctcLink project. Tim holds an M.Ed. in Educational Communications and Technology from the University of Washington, and a B.M.E. from Pacific Lutheran University.