Strategic direction and presidential priorities at Bellevue College

Sep 14, 2020

Governor Gary Locke of Bellevue College

On June 15, 2020, former Washington Governor Gary Locke began serving as interim president at Bellevue College, the third largest higher education institution in Washington, enrolling more than 32,000 students. During his tenure at Bellevue College, he wants to encourage a cultural shift on campus, provide stability, and elevate the college’s stature as it searches for a permanent president. Governor Locke will share more about how BC continues to serve students, and the community, amid the pandemic, and why a continued investment in higher education by the state is critical in addressing the economic impact of COVID-19 and longstanding societal inequities. He will also discuss the challenges BC faces as the campus deals with the emotional aftermath of the art installation defacement, and as we recognize the impact of systemic racial injustice on Black students, staff, and faculty.

Mr. Locke was the first Chinese American to be elected governor in United States history and the first Asian American governor on the mainland. In his two terms as Governor, Washington was ranked one of America’s four best-managed states. During the Obama administration, he served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and most recently as U.S. Ambassador to China. Governor Locke is a leader in education, employment, trade, health care, human rights, immigration reform, privacy, and the environment. His innovations in government efficiency, customer focus, priority-based budgeting, as well as successful and under-budget management of high-risk initiatives, have won him acclaim from nationally recognized authors and organizations, including Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Governor Locke attended Yale University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and received his law degree from Boston University.