Board of Trustees Retreat
August 19, 2026
A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Community College District VIII, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, state of Washington, will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. This meeting will be conducted both in-person at Cedarbrook Lodge at 18525 36th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98188 and remotely via Zoom. A telephone line will also be available. Rich Fukutaki, Chair, will preside.
The business session will begin at approximately 9 AM.
Business Session Call-In Details
Dial in by telephone: +1 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 862 8596 0395
Passcode: 856690
Agenda
Business Session
Call to Order
- Approval of Agenda for August 19, 2026
- Approval of Minutes for June 17, 2026 and June 24, 2026
Public Comment
Students, faculty, staff, and community members may provide public comment to the Board during this portion of the meeting. Comments are limited to 2 minutes per individual. There will be a total of 20 minutes scheduled for public comment. Public comments may be provided in one of three ways:
- In-person: Sign up on the public comment sheet located at the entrance to the meeting room.
- Remote: Use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom to indicate your intent to speak. If joining by phone, press *9 to raise your hand.
- Written: Submit your comment by emailing boardoftrustees@bellevuecollege.edu.
Strategic Leadership & Institutional Effectiveness
Closed Session
The Board will meet in closed session to discuss collective bargaining negotiations. Pursuant to RCW 42.30.140(4)(a), these matters are not subject to the Open Public Meetings Act. No final action will be taken during this closed session, but action may be taken upon the Board’s return to open session.
Break for Lunch: 12-1 PM
Business Session
Fiscal Stewardship & Institutional Governance
Adjournment
Minutes
A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Community College District VIII, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, state of Washington, was held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Rich Fukutaki, chair, presided. This meeting was held in Cedarbrook Lodge at 18525 36th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98188 and on Zoom. A telephone line was also available.
Chair Fukutaki called the business session to order at 9:07 AM.
Roll Call
A quorum of the Board was present.
Present: Chair Rich Fukutaki, Vice Chair Pradnya Desh, Trustee Richard Leigh, Trustee Greg Dietzel, Trustee Michelle Flowers-Taylor, President David May, Assistant Attorney General Tricia Boerger, and Board Secretary Alicia Keating Polson.
Absent: none.
There were 7 guests in attendance.
Approval of Agenda and Minutes
Trustee Desh made a motion to approve the agenda for August 19, 2026, and the minutes from June 17 and June 24, 2026. Trustee Leigh seconded the motion.
The motion passed unanimously.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
Strategic Leadership & Institutional Effectiveness
The Board engaged in a discussion focused on the college’s long-term strategic direction, institutional effectiveness, and the Board’s governance and oversight responsibilities.
- Strategic Planning and Divisional Planning: Frances Dujon Reynolds, Vice President of Human Resources provided an update on the next phase of strategic planning, including divisional planning efforts and alignment across divisions in support of institutional priorities.
- Strategic Dashboards: Dr. Jess Clark, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Jill Lane, Executive Director of Institutional Research discussed the development and use of strategic dashboards and performance metrics.
- Accreditation Findings: Dr. Clark and Lane reviewed the outcomes of the college’s recent NWCCU accreditation review, including commendations, recommendations, and next steps for continued institutional improvement.
- Governance: Dr. Clark and Dr. Ben Pryor, Associate Vice Provost discussed the respective roles of the Board, administration, governance structures, and labor organizations in institutional decision-making.
Recess
Chair Fukutaki called for a 75-minute recess at 11:45 AM for lunch.
Business Session
Chair Fukutaki reconvened the business session at 1:00 PM.
Closed Session
At 1:01 PM, Chair Fukutaki announced the Board would meet for 60 minutes in closed session to discuss collective bargaining negotiations. Pursuant to RCW 42.30.140(4)(a), these matters are not subject to the Open Public Meetings Act. No final action will be taken during this closed session, but action may be taken upon the Board’s return to open session.
At 2:00 PM, Chair Fukutaki extended the closed session by 5 minutes.
The closed session ended at 2:05 PM.
Recess
Chair Fukutaki called for a 10-minute recess at 2:05 PM.
Business Session
Chair Fukutaki reconvened the business session at 2:15 PM.
Fiscal Stewardship & Institutional Governance
The Board engaged in a discussion focused on the college’s financial framework, long-term fiscal sustainability, institutional policies, compliance, and the Board’s role in stewarding college resources.
- Finance and Budget: Ty Bergstrom, Associate Vice President of Finance and Campus Operations; Sharon Kussy, Budget Director; and Dr. Jorge de la Torre, Vice President of Administrative Services. Jorge de la Torre provided an overview of the college’s financial position, including the college’s financial model, five-year budget outlook and reserves. The Board also received an update on the college’s compliance/internal control framework.
- Policies and Procedures: Dr. Lori Keller, Director of Policies and Government Relations provided an overview of the college’s policy and procedure framework and the plan for reviewing and modernizing college policies and procedures, including the respective roles of the Board and administration.
Adjournment
There being no further business, Chair Fukutaki adjourned the Board of Trustees meeting at 5:05 PM.
Rich Fukutaki
Chair, Board of Trustees
Community College District VIII
Attest:
Alicia Keating Polson
Secretary, Board of Trustees
Community College District VIII