Bellevue College Trustee Appointed Chair-Elect of ACCT Board of Directors

Richard Fukutaki, chair of the Bellevue College Board of Trustees, was recently elected chair-elect of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Board of Directors.

The ACCT is a national nonprofit organization for community, technical, and junior college trustees, which brings together college leaders to address real-world challenges and help students succeed through advocacy and education.

Prior to this new role, Fukutaki was ACCT’s secretary-treasurer and vice chair, first elected in 2021. As chair-elect, Fukutaki is expected to lead ACCT’s Board of Directors as chair in the fall of 2024. He will be the first Asian man, the first Japanese American, and the first descendant of a Japanese internment camp family to lead ACCT.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been elected as the chair-elect of the ACCT,” Fukutaki said. “This role represents a profound commitment to advancing the vital mission of community colleges in Washington and beyond. I am excited to represent Bellevue College and the 34 Washington community and technical colleges in my collaboration with national leaders to champion accessible and high-quality education for all. Together, we will strive to empower students, foster innovation, and strengthen the impact of community colleges across the nation.”

The organization’s 2024 ACCT Leadership Congress will be held in Seattle in October 2024. Fukutaki has served as a trustee at Bellevue College, an institution known for its excellence and innovation, for eight years. Gov. Jay Inslee first appointed Fukutaki to a partial term in August 2015, and he is currently serving his first full term, which will continue through September 2024.

Fukutaki is active with the Washington State Association of College Trustees, serving as the co-chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, chair of the Awards Committee, and is a member of the Finance, Audit, and Education Committees. He was appointed to the SBCTC Leadership Development committee in 2022.

Outside of higher education, Fukutaki is the managing director of Sun Break Group, LLC, a consulting practice focusing on business plans and strategies for start-ups and early-stage companies. He is also the managing partner for Encomedia, a public display entertainment company developing TV programs, apps, live events, online portals, and social media strategies.

Previously, Fukutaki served as Vice President/General Manager at Wizards of the Coast, where he founded the Pokémon trading card game. As an active member of the community, Fukutaki serves as an elder and small group leader at Bellevue Presbyterian Church and is an active service day volunteer at the Jubilee Reach Center.