Jack Bermingham has announced his retirement as president of Highline College, effective next week.<\/p>\n
The college’s board of trustees accepted Bermingham’s letter Thursday during a special meeting on campus.<\/p>\n
For the past several months, Bermingham, 68, has been on leave from the college, recuperating from December open-heart surgery.<\/p>\n
“My recovery has taken longer than anticipated,” Bermingham said in an email to campus faculty and staff. “Returning to my responsibilities as president of the college would necessarily be gradual, and I am already nearing the end of my career. Under these circumstances and after a great deal of reflection, I am announcing my retirement from Highline College.”<\/p>\n
Jeff Wagnitz, Highline’s vice president for Academic Affairs, who has been acting in Bermingham’s absence, will continue as acting president.<\/p>\n
Bermingham was only the sixth president in the college’s 55-year history.<\/p>\n
His passion for promoting access, diversity, social justice and student achievement brought him to the community college system. He came to Highline in 1994 as academic vice president, a post he would hold until being appointed president in 2006.<\/p>\n
Bermingham’s academic career began in 1979 when he received his Ph.D. in history from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He went on to a faculty appointment at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. He came to Washington as a faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University, where he earned tenure and later became dean of social sciences.<\/p>\n
His has earned national and regional recognition for his work in a number of areas, including diversity, inclusion, basic skills and international education.<\/p>\n
Since taking over leadership at Highline more than a decade ago, Bermingham strengthened collaborations with business, industry, K–12 and baccalaureate institutions and community-based organizations, resulting in partnerships and expanded economic development efforts.<\/p>\n
He served on several regional and national boards and committees where he was especially active in advancing international initiatives and education, believing in the importance of preparing students to live in a multicultural world and global economy.<\/p>\n
In the near future, the college will provide details on opportunities for celebrating Bermingham’s achievements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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