Board of Trustees Retreat
August 20, 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 Thursday, August 20, 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: 833 6437 6660
Passcode: 156544
Agenda
Business Session
Call to Order
- Approval of Agenda for August 20, 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.
Preparing Bellevue College for the Future
Break for Lunch: 12-1 PM
Business Session
Call to Order
Strengthening the Board-President Partnership
Executive Session
The Board will convene in executive session under RCW 42.30.110(1) for the following purpose: (g) To review the performance of a public employee. No final action will be taken during this executive session, but action may be taken upon the Board’s return to open session.
Business Session
Call to Order
Action
- President Contract
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 Thursday, August 20, 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 9:01 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: David May There were 3 guests in attendance.
Approval of Agenda
Trustee Leigh made a motion to approve the agenda for August 20, 2026. Trustee Dietzel seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
Preparing Bellevue College for the Future
The Board engaged in discussions focused on emerging opportunities and initiatives that will shape Bellevue College’s future, including institutional identity and the use of artificial intelligence.
- Branding Initiative: Sean Marsh, Vice President of Institutional Advancement & Executive Director of the Bellevue College Foundation; Ruben Escobedo, Account Manager at DH; and Michael Dean, Senior Director of Strategy at DH, provided an overview of the college’s branding initiative, including the goals of the project, progress to date, and efforts to strengthen Bellevue College’s identity and community engagement.
- Artificial Intelligence: Dr. Jess Clark, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Ben Pryor, Associate Vice Provost, provided an overview of the use of artificial intelligence at Bellevue College, including the opportunities and considerations related to AI in teaching and learning, student success, and institutional operations.
Recess
Chair Fukutaki called for a 70-minute recess at 11:50 AM for lunch.
Business Session
Chair Fukutaki reconvened the business session at 1:02 PM.
Preparing Bellevue College for the Future
The Board continued its discussion focused on preparing for the upcoming year and strengthening Board governance practices.
- Board Calendar: Dr. Alicia Keating Polson, Executive Director of the President’s Office, reviewed the 2026–27 Board calendar with trustees. The Board discussed expectations for trustee attendance at college events and the value of conferences and other professional development opportunities.
- Board Governance Practices: The Board engaged in discussion regarding selected Board governance practices, including public comment, constituent reports, and meeting procedures. The Board agreed to allocate 30 minutes for public comment and requested that written public comments be acknowledged upon receipt and distributed to trustees weekly. The Board reaffirmed the five-minute timeframe for constituent reports and that reports focus on matters within the Board’s governance responsibilities. Constituent reports will also be identified on future agendas by the name of the organization providing the report. The Board Chair will communicate expectations to constituent representatives prior to the first meeting. The Board also agreed to begin using a consent agenda for routine business at future meetings.
Executive Session
At 2:55 PM, Chair Fukutaki announced the Board would convene for 65 minutes in executive session under RCW 42.30.110(1) for the following purpose: (g) To review the performance of a public employee. Chair Fukutaki announced that no final action would be taken during the executive session.
At 4:00 PM, Chair Fukutaki extended the executive session by 15 minutes.
The executive session ended at 4:14PM.
Business Session
Chair Fukutaki reconvened the business session at 4:15 PM.
Action
President Contract
Motion 25.26
Trustee Desh moved that the Board of Trustees of Community College District VIII approve an amendment to the President’s contract that extends the contract period by an additional year, provides a general living wage increase of 2% effective July 1, 2026, resulting in an annual salary of $335,457, and provides deferred compensation of $16,444 to be paid by September 30, 2026, to an approved deferred compensation program. Trustee Flowers-Taylor seconded.
The motion passed unanimously.
Executive Session
At 4:25 PM, Chair Fukutaki announced the Board would convene for 20 minutes in executive session under RCW 42.30.110(1) for the following purpose: (g) To review the performance of a public employee. Chair Fukutaki announced that no final action would be taken during the executive session.
The executive session ended at 4:43 PM.
Business Session
Chair Fukutaki reconvened the business session at 4:45 PM.
Adjournment
There being no further business, Chair Fukutaki adjourned the Board of Trustees meeting at 4:45 PM.