SUMMIT Vol.5 Special Edition

SUMMIT Special Edition

L E G A C Y of a PRESIDENT

L E G A C Y of a PRESIDENT D

r. David Mitchell has made history at Olympic College. With a tenure of 15½ years, he is OC’s longest serving president and that’s given him an unprecedented opportunity to shape educational and economic opportunities for students and the community. He’s pushed to expand four-year degrees, replaced outdated buildings, promoted diversity, and created an international program that is bringing the world to OC. Under his leadership, OC was recognized in 2015 as one of the top 10 community colleges in the country by the Aspen Institute and, in 2017, received a national award for its partnership with the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

Those accolades are worth celebrating, but perhaps even more important is the relationship Mitchell has helped steward between the college and the community it serves.

When he speaks to a local group, Mitchell always asks how many people went to OC or know someone who has. He’s

delighted when nearly everyone raises their hands.

“To know that I’m working somewhere that has that much impact on individuals and the community is very gratifying,” he said. “People view it as their college and it is.”

To recognize Mitchell’s transformative leadership and his work to expand opportunity for all students, the Olympic College Foundation Board of Trustees has named him an emeritus board member.

Dr. Mitchell's Legacy at a glance, 2002-2017: • Over 15 years of outstanding leadership • 12 baccalaureate degrees – four through OC and eight through partnerships with universities • Aspen Prize Top-10 U.S. Community College in 2015 and Top-150 in 2013 & 2017 • National recognition for partnership with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 2017 • $16 million endowment to support student success • $150 million in building projects on three campuses • 28,000 graduates

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ne of Dr. David Mitchell’s last official acts as Olympic College president will be opening the new $46.5-million College Instruction Center, an innovative learning space that will serve as both a community arts center and the creative and technical hub of the Bremerton campus.

It’s a fitting capstone to a tenure that has seen more than $150 million in capital investments transform OC’s facilities from among the worst in the state community college system. Major projects during Mitchell’s presidency include electrical and mechanical engineering labs, buildings for science and humanities, an expansion of the Poulsbo campus and a new welding center in Shelton.

The College Instruction Center brings arts, technology and health sciences together, and creates a versatile, interactive environment for multi-disciplinary learning. One of Mitchell's proudest achievements, it represents more than a decade of dreaming, planning, and waiting as the state’s budget was battered by the economic downturn.

Art Professor Marie Weichman said it was a tough sell to state lawmakers because of the cost and because it included the arts, as well as science and technology. Mitchell was key to making it happen. “I think of him as quietly chiseling away at the goal and I think it’s that persistence that got us that building.”

As a result, some of OC’s strongest programs – nursing, art and design, digital filmmaking – will have space to grow.

Surveying the sleek, modern campus he helped create, Mitchell is quick to shift the focus from bricks and mortar to the purpose behind them. “The students love it. It’s a better learning environment.”

PI LOT I NG T H E FOU R-Y E A R DEGR EE

W

hen U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer was a member of the Washington State Senate, he was frustrated that Bremerton’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard was going all the way to Texas to recruit engineers because of a shortage of qualified job applicants in Kitsap and Mason counties.

But that problem, when presented to OC President David Mitchell, quickly became an opportunity.

Knowing that many local students couldn’t go to Washington State University in Pullman to pursue an engineering degree, Mitchell led the effort to bring WSU to OC, creating a partnership that allows OC students to earn an engineering baccalaureate degree in Bremerton.

The first class of mechanical engineers graduated in 2012 and the program has since expanded to include electrical engineering.

“Enabling people to stay here and get a job here is a big deal and David Mitchell was driving the bus on it,” said Kilmer. “He deserves tremendous credit. It was a game changer for people in the program and for large employers and for small employers.”

The partnership tapped into existing resources to create a success story for students, employers and taxpayers, said Kilmer, who lauds Mitchell’s quietly persuasive style. “He has a very common-sense approach that is often missing in politics and policy making.”

When Mitchell came to OC in 2002, the college was strictly a two-year institution. Place-bound students seeking a bachelor’s degree had few options.

Joan Hanten, OC’s Vice President of College Relations, said Mitchell took a strategic approach to the problem, focusing on expanding degrees that were in highest demand by local employers.

He successfully pressed for OC to be one of the first community colleges in Washington to pilot a four-year degree, and, in 2008, OC became one of the first community colleges in the nation to offer a nursing baccalaureate degree.

OLYMPIC COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

© Kitsap Sun

© Kitsap Sun

Enabling people to stay here and get a job here is a big deal and David Mitchell was driving the bus on it...It was a game changer for people in the program and for large employers and for small employers.

- U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer

As a result, OC has built a highly regarded baccalaureate nursing program and a track record of excellence that has led to bachelor’s degrees in such cutting-edge areas as digital filmmaking and, in partnership with Western Washington University, computer and information systems security.

Today the college offers 12 bachelor’s degrees, four directly through OC and eight in partnership with WSU and WWU. “It affects hundreds of students, most of whom would not have gotten baccalaureate degrees without these programs being offered locally,” said Mitchell.

Said Hanten: “David Mitchell has been a leader in changing the model for community colleges in this state. And, he’s definitely been a leader in bringing four-year degrees to our population and getting these people where they need to be.”

Adam Wolhlsen is a senior in the electrical engineering program, who initially chose OC because it was a reasonably priced way to see if engineering was a good fit for him. He stayed because of the program’s high quality, the small class sizes and the strong sense of community.

“It’s a much more personal experience,” he said. “This program here is fantastic.”

In August 2017, local elected officials and representatives of OC and WSU gathered to open a new electrical engineering lab on the Bremerton campus and celebrate the partnership’s success.

“In this program, every student who graduates gets a decent job that allows them to support a family,” said State Rep. Drew Hansen, “and that’s all you can ask for.”

SUMMIT MAGAZINE SPECIAL EDITION | VOL.5 | WINTER 2017

I N T ER NAT IONA L PROGR A M

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t wasn’t easy starting an international student program at Olympic College one year after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Immigration regulations were a challenge. So were American perceptions about foreign students.

“Talk about a rough start,” said Heather Lukashin, the program’s coordinator. “To his credit, Dr. David Mitchell not only was able to persist, he was able to create a robust program.”

As part of Mitchell’s efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive college, he pushed to create an international program that would bring the world to OC. After a rocky start in 2012, the program has grown steadily to about 150 students from 30 countries in 2017-18.

“Our students learn as much from the international students as the international students learn from us,” said Mitchell. “There are students here in Kitsap and Mason Counties who will never get to travel to another country. This program brings the world to them.”

OLYMPIC COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Lukashin said it helps demystify people from other cultures and breaks down stereotypes. Not all Asians are good at math, for example. And most Muslims are not extremists. “Our international students tend to be ambassadors without even knowing it.”

For Italian student Maria Politi, who earned her associate’s degree at OC in 2017 and is studying chemical engineering at Oregon State University, the international program was an opportunity to expand her horizons and learn about life in the United States. “I like how open people are around here. That is not necessarily true everywhere you go.”

DI V ERSI T Y AT OC To make sure everyone feels welcome at OC, Dr. Mitchell: • Established the Office for Equity and Inclusion • Appointed the first Vice President for Equity and Inclusion • Started the Presidential Equity & Excellence Lecture Series with activist Angela Davis as the inaugural speaker • Established the annual Olympic College Diversity Conference • Created the Diversity Advisory Council • Established the International Student Program, attracting students from 30 countries

SUMMIT Special Edition Magazine VO L . 5 | W I N T E R 2 0 17

The SUMMIT Magazine is published by the Olympic College Foundation for the Alumni Association and celebrates the successes and stories of Olympic College students, alumni, and employees by promoting them throughout the community. This publication aims to educate its readers, engage stakeholders and recognize donors through compelling stories and images. We thank you for picking up this copy and we hope you enjoy the read.

EDITORS David Emmons, Terri Gleich, Ruth Ross Saucier WRITER Terri Gleich PHOTOGR APHER Logan Westom Photography DESIGN Gretchen Ritter-Lopatowski

OLYMPIC COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2002-2017 Harriette Bryant, Beverly Cheney, Peter Crane, Debra Doran, Naomi Kuniyuki Pursel, Jim Page, Darlene Peters, James Robinson*, Douglas Sayan, Alice Tawresey, Stephen Warner

OC FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2002-2017 Carlita Alegria, Dr. Damon Bell, Doug Berger, Monica Blackwood, Shawna Bliss, Cary Bozeman, Peter Braun, Jeff Brein, Barb Brenner, Lois Bresaw, Harriette Bryant, Shannon Childs, Stephanie Cline, Sheila Collins, Pete Crane, Tracy DiGiovanni, Gayle Dilling, Debra Doran, Stacy Dore, Timothy Drury, Ginny Guff, Judy Mentor Eagelson, Duane Edwards, David Emmons, Lynn Finlay*, Lynn Fleischbein, Tracy Flood, Klaus Golombek, Meredith Green, Ed Hallda, Marilee Hansen, Drew Hansen, Joan Hanten, William Harvey, Joanne Haselwood, Bob Hawkinson, Terri Hern, Stephanie Horton, Lynn Horton, Mark Hughes, Monica Hunsaker, Sherlyn Iverson, Jim Johnson, Dona Keating, Tim Lavin, Michael Levi, Ann Lovell, Cindy Lucarelli, Bill Maiers, Lori Maxim, Arthur McCarty*, Dr. David Mitchell, Rita Mitchell, Lloyd Mullen, Linda Niebanck, Jim Page, David Peel, Geoff Pentz, Carolyn Powers, Kimberly Punt, Naomi Pursel, Steve Rice, James Robinson*, Ruth Ross Saucier, Kathleen D. Sanford, Douglas Sayan, Dr. Nathan Schlicher, Enrico Sio, Dr. Pankaj Sharma, Diana Smeland, Barbara Stephenson, Donna Strep, Jim Sund, Dr. Warren Van Zee*, Elizabeth "Sunny" Wheeler, Kevin Wiley, Kate Wilson, Ken Winslow, Ed Wolfe, Kelly Woodward Bold = Current Member of the Board (November 2017) * Deceased

Contents may be reprinted with permission of the editor. This magazine is printed on FSC Certified paper. Please recycle when finished reading. Olympic College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.

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Thank You

Dr. David Mitchell!

You transformed Olympic College, our community and our students' lives.

The Olympic College Foundation & Alumni Association wishes you all the best in your retirement!