Jessica Salak Appointed Interim Associate Dean of the OLS Program

Please join us in welcoming Jessica Salak as the Interim Associate Dean of Occupational & Life Skills (OLS) Bellevue College. As you may recall, in July we announced that Pilar Lopez retired from her tenure as Associate Dean of the program.

Jessica joined OLS in July 2022 as the Workforce Development Manager, and throughout her time with OLS, she has represented our program at outreach events, community gatherings, and professional partnerships. She has significantly grown and developed many aspects of the OLS program, including:

• Developing internships for graduating students in collaboration
• Establishing new ongoing relationships with businesses and organizations in the Puget Sound Region
• Re-designed the OLS Mock Interview experience through a partnership with Microsoft and CBRE, including facilitating the hosting of the event on the Microsoft campus
• Co-created and led OLS Housing Experience for first-year housing students
• Co-created and supported OLS Alumni Associate and OLS Alumni Board, organizing quarterly events to connect OLS Alumni

Prior to joining OLS, Jessica worked for two years as a special education teacher for the Lake Washington School District, where she taught middle school and high school students with moderate to severe disabilities. She led a classroom that focused on functional life skills, which supported students in gaining independence. Jessica grew up on the East Coast and received her Master’s in Special Education from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Jessica has a passion for working with young adults with disabilities and is a firm advocate for the value of neurodivergent individuals in the workforce and beyond.

“During my time as Interim Associate Dean, I plan to continue the successful systems of the program while simultaneously looking ahead with an open mind on a bright future for OLS,” she said. “At the center of my mission is and will always be our students.”

Bellevue College is actively working on finding a permanent replacement for the Associate Dean position. To apply for the position, please visit the Bellevue College website.