State Board for Community and Technical Colleges elects Lake Forest Park woman as chair

Shaunta Hyde

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges last week elected Shaunta Hyde of Lake Forest Park as its chair, making her the first African-American woman to lead the board. 

Dr. Elizabeth Chen of Federal Way was elected vice chair.

Hyde, who works as the managing director of community relations at Alaska Airlines, joined the State Board in 2009. She served as the board’s vice chair since June 2013 and chair pro-tem since April.

Chen, appointed to the board in 2010, is a retired faculty member from the University of Puget Sound where she taught Chinese and statistics.

“I'm excited and honored to serve as chair of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and I am proud to be the first African-American woman to be in that role,” Hyde said. 

“Our state is growing more diverse every day, and our 34 colleges serve students of all walks of life. It’s important that the State Board reflects the rich diversity of the state and colleges so our mission and goals provide a solid educational foundation for our students.”

The elections were held June 23 during the board’s meeting at Walla Walla Community College. Hyde and Chen will serve in their roles until the next elections in June 2016. 

The board’s nine members, appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate, provide general supervision and control over the state system of 34 community and technical colleges. 

This includes capital and operating budget allocations to the colleges, master planning for the college system, and setting minimum standards for college operation.