Board of Trustees
Current board members (left to right): Jeanne Bennett, Vice Chair Cristhian Canseco Juarez, Denise Gideon, Chair Paul Speer, and Rekah Strong.
Apply to be a Board Member
The Governor’s Office is currently accepting applications to fill the upcoming vacancy seat on the Board to assist its current members in carrying out its critical work. This is a five year commitment with monthly meetings and active representation of the college.
The Board of Trustees champions diversity, equity, and inclusion; are committed to intentional actions and continued learning that create meaningful cultural change.
The Board of Trustees in united solidarity, affirm the college’s identity as an anti-racist institution, committed to the development and implementation of strategies and best-practices that dismantle racism and other forms of oppression within all aspects of the college, community and society.
Clark College is the Community’s college providing access to quality education and services, promoting economic and community development, and preparing a trained and readied workforce. Clark College fosters strong strategic partnerships with area businesses, industry, non-profit organizations, and K-12 school districts.
Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by July 31, 2022.
To apply, please visit the Washington State Governor's webpage.
If you have questions or require additional information, please contact Julie Taylor by email: jtaylor@clark.edu
About
The Clark College Board of Trustees consists of five members who are appointed by the Governor of Washington. Members serve a five-year term and must live in the college’s service district.
The Board seeks to ensure the quality and relevance of college programs and provide stewardship of public resources. In this role, the Board is responsible for strategic planning; development and approval of college policies; and approval and oversight of the operating budget.
The Board of Trustees generally meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
- Work sessions precede the board meetings from 3:30-5 p.m. in Room 258C of the Penguin Union Building.
- Board meetings are held at 5 p.m. in the the Ellis F. Dunn Community Room (Gaiser Hall Room 213).
Board Policies & Procedures Manual
For additional information about the Board of Trustees, contact the President's Office.
Related External Websites:
Meetings
- Board Packets (including agendas, college reports and minutes) -- February 2007-present
- Minutes (historic) -- September 2005-May 2007
- Schedule of meetings
Board of Trustees
Jeanne Bennett
Appointed: 2019 Term Ends: 2021
Profile:
Jeanne Bennett is the retired CEO of Workforce Southwest Washington, a Vancouver resident,
and a longtime community leader. She began her career working as a congressional staff
member, first for Oregon Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse and then for Congressman Brian
Baird in Washington. After that, she moved on to leadership positions in Evergreen
School District 112's Youth Workforce Program, the Mount St. Helens Institute, and
finally Workforce Southwest Washington, where she managed local investments of more
than $10 million annually in individuals’ workforce skills training and development.
In her retirement, Bennett remains active in her community, including serving as Board Chair for Columbia Play Project.
Community activities include:
- Mount St. Helens Institute
- Mount Adams Institute
- Empower Women + Girls
Education:
- B.S. - History - Portland State University
Vice Chair, Cristhian Canseco Juarez
Appointed: 2021 Term Ends: 2024
Profile:
Cristhian A. Canseco Juarez is a first-generation college graduate, as well as an
immigrant and an alumnus of Washington State University Vancouver. He is deeply involved
in community service in Vancouver, providing resources for those who have historically
been under-represented.
Canseco earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Washington State University Vancouver and graduated from Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver. He and his family have lived in Vancouver for 25 years, having emigrated from Mexico to the United States in 1991.
Community activities include:
- Board of Directors for Lighthouse Community Credit Union
- Treasurer, Southwest Washington LULAC Council
- Council member, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
- 2019-2020 Clark College Presidential Search Committee
Education:
- B.A. - Business Administration - Washington State University, Vancouver
Denise Gideon
Appointed: 2021 Term Ends: 2024
Profile:
Denise Gideon is a seasoned healthcare leader with an extensive record of service to communities. She is currently the System Vice President of Operations & Program Integration at PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Washington, where she also serves as the executive sponsor for the Black and Allies Network Group.
Previously, Gideon's professional career spanned leadership roles at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland and at Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, as well as at the Alameda Alliance for Health. She is the former co-chair of the Board of Directors of St. Martin De Porres Catholic School and is active in faith communities wherever she lives and works.
Gideon served as a Licensed Practical Nurse in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm.
Community activities include:
- Educational Opportunities for Children & Families of Southwest Washington
- Joyce Finley Foundation
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- Rebuild Together Portland
Education:
- Associate - Berkeley City College
- B.A., Organizational Management - Patten University
- M.B.A., Business Administration - John F. Kennedy University
Chair, Paul Speer
Appointed: 2018 Term Ends: 2023
Profile:
Paul Speer has extensive experience and skills in strategic planning, nonprofit fundraising and capacity building. A resident of Clark County for the past 40 years, Speer has long demonstrated a commitment to our community.
For more than 25 years, Speer worked at Hewlett-Packard Company, where he retired as Vice President of Development Strategy in the Office of Strategy and Technology.
Currently, Speer is an executive advisor and coach, who also appears as a guest lecturer and panelist on topics including leadership, new business creation, business planning, venture philanthropy, sustainable energy, and encore careers.
Community activities include:
- Washington Association of College Trustees DEI Committee - Member
- Oregon Public Broadcasting – Board Member
- University of Portland’s Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council – Member and Past Council Chair
- Pearson Field Education Center– Founding Committee Chair
- iUrban Teen – Advisory Member
- Cascadia Tech Academy – Advisory Member
- Superintendent’s Management Task Force for Vancouver Public Schools – Advisory Member
- University of Portland’s Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Board – Past Board Chair
- The Historic Trust – Past Board Member
- Social Venture Partners International – Past Board Member
- Leadership Clark County – Past Board Member
- Nonprofit Network Southwest Washington – Past Board Member
- City of Vancouver’s Aviation Advisory Committee – Past Committee Chair
Awards and Recognition:
- 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award from Leadership Clark County
- 2013 Pilot of the Year award from the Washington Pilots Association
Education:
- University of Portland - Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering
- University of Portland - Master of Business Administration
- Embry-Riddle University - Master of Science in Aeronautics
Rekah Strong
Appointed: 2012 Term Ends: 2017
Reappointed: 2017 Term Ends: 2022
Profile:
Rekah Strong is currently executive director of Educational Opportunities for Children and Families (EOCF).
She has more than 16 years of experience working in public agencies and developing strategies to improve organizational cultural humility. Prior to her work for EOCF, she served as Chief of Operations and Equity at United Wayof the Columbia-Willamette. Before that, she spent 12 years working in various capacities for Clark County and the State of Oregon in their Department of Human Services. In 2010, she became the principal operator of her private consulting firm, Chemistry Development LLC.
Community activities include:
- We Reign Youth Foundation -Board Member
- Leadership Clark County Diversity -Trainer since 2008
- American Society for Training and Development
- Cultural Competency Team–Member/Advisor
- Southwest Washington Chapter Red Cross - Board Member and Diversity Team Chair
- Southwest Washington YWCA Personnel Committee–Member
- Southwest Washington and Portland Big Brothers Big Sisters African American Advisory Committee–Member
- City of Battle Ground Diversity Task Force–Participant
- Greater Portland Vancouver Indicators Equity Team–Member
- Portland State University School of Social Work Social Justice Committee–Member
Awards and Recognition:
- 2007 NAACP Val Joshua Award
- 2008 YWCA Social Justice Award Recipient
- 2009 Delta Social Justice Award Recipient
- 2009 National Association of Counties Innovative Program Award Recipient
- 2010 Accomplished and under 40 Award Recipient
Education:
- Portland State University - PhD. Social Work Research; pre-dissertation
- Portland State University – Master’s Degree–Social Work/Administration - 2002
- Portland State University – Bachelor of Science Degree–Criminal Justice–1997