TACOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Interim Dean
- Interim Dean for Math, Science and Engineering
Job Titles:
- Dean
- Dean for Library & Learning Innovation
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- President and CEO of United Way of Pierce County
Dona was appointed to the TCC Board of Trustees in December 2019. Dona is President and CEO of United Way of Pierce County (UWPC). Dona joined the UWPC in January of 2014, and has over 30 years of experience within the United Way network, as well as a long history of working to serve children and their families. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MS degree in Counseling, with emphasis in children and families from Creighton University. Since she joined UWPC, she has taken her passion and focused her work on building stability for families, including leading the Hunger-Free Pierce County collaborative, and has secured funding for Centers for Strong Families.
Dona shared these thoughts upon receiving the appointment from Gov. Jay Inslee: "I am honored to serve as a Trustee. TCC's values and commitment to students and being a strong community partner are values that align with my own values and commitment to ensure opportunities for all in our community."
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- TCC Foundation Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Operations Coordinator
- TCC Foundation Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Member of the TCC Leadership Team
- President
- College President
Ivan L. Harrell II., Ph.D., serves as the 11th President of Tacoma Community College (TCC). Having a passion for community college education, Dr. Harrell strives every day to lead a group of professionals in providing the best environment, programs and services students need to complete their academic and career goals.
Prior to TCC, Dr. Harrell most recently served as the Executive Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Before Georgia Piedmont, he served as the Vice President of Success at Lone Star College, Dean of Student Affairs at Anne Arundel Community College, Coordinator for Student Affairs at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and Assistant to the Vice President at Tallahassee Community College.
Dr. Harrell has written or co-written a number of scholarly articles and book chapters. He has also served as a presenter at numerous local, regional and national conferences and seminars. He is most proud of his work around improving the success of students of color, particularly Black men, first-generation college students, as well as students who come from traditionally marginalized backgrounds.
Dr. Harrell completed his doctor of philosophy degree (Ph.D.) at Florida State University, where he defended his award-winning dissertation, titled, "Using Student Characteristics to Predict the Persistence of Community College Students Enrolled in Online Courses." He holds a master's degree (M.Ed.) from Vanderbilt University, and a bachelor's degree (B.A.) from Wittenberg University.
A native of Oberlin, Ohio, Dr. Harrell was a first-generation student who began his career in community colleges at Tallahassee Community College. Inspired by the diverse, intelligent and hard-working students he met at Tallahassee, Dr. Harrell decided to dedicate his career to advance the community college mission. His goal, as a higher education leader, is to support as many community college students possible to achieve their academic and career goals.
Job Titles:
- Dean for Retention & Student Success
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant
- TCC Foundation Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean of Nursing
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Student Affairs
Karl Smith entered higher education after finishing the master's in teaching program at the University of Washington and deciding to take a year off from teaching. His professional career started in 2001 on the frontlines of admissions recruiting as the African American Outreach Coordinator for the University of Washington Seattle, serving the Tacoma community. A gap year turned into a life long passion. Through hard work, innovation, a data-informed approach, and a student-centered philosophy, a career on the frontlines turned into 19 years of progressive service in public higher education.
Job Titles:
- TCC Foundation Staff Member
- Fiscal Analyst
- Fiscal Analyst II
Job Titles:
- Dean for Creative Arts, Literature, and Communication
LaTasha was appointed to the TCC Board of Trustees in November 2020. For nearly 15 years Wortham worked with several lawmakers, including former Secretary of Washington State Ralph Munro, former Congressman Norm Dicks, former Congressman and current Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, and former Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib. She now works for Tacoma Public Utilities as the Deputy Director for Customer Experience and External Affairs, leading the Customer Services, Communications, Community and Government Relations, and the Market Development teams. Early in her career, Wortham worked at United Way of Pierce County as a Senior Campaign Account Manager. An active voice in the community, Wortham currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Tacoma Urban League, Vice Chair of the Board for Tacoma Community House, Member of the Washington State Leadership Board, and the Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective. She is a former Board Chair for Hilltop Artist, and a past member of Tacoma Rotary #8.
Bernstein began her term in January 2017. Bernstein most recently served as Chief Community Executive, overseeing MultiCare's community presence and partnerships with organizations in MultiCare's service area. Bernstein joined MultiCare in 1998, and has overseen both support and clinical departments including Marketing and Communications, Philanthropy, Healthy Living, Adult Day Health, Home Health & Hospice and Government Affairs. Prior to her tenure at MultiCare, Bernstein served in leadership positions at Mercy Hospital and Scripps Health in San Diego. Bernstein earned her BA in communications from Michigan State University, her MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University, and her MBA from University of California, Irvine. She is a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum.
Manny Santiago was appointed to the Board of Trustees in October, 2022. Santiago currently serves as the inaugural Executive Director for the Washington State LGBTQ Commission. Prior to his appointment to this role, Santiago was Executive Director of Tacoma Pierce County's Rainbow Center. Santiago earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Puerto Rico -- Mayagüez Campus, studied Public Administration at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, and earned a Master of Divinity (Theology) degree from Andover Newton Theological School in Massachusetts.
Santiago has served on TCC's Multicultural Advisory Committee and as a member of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Tacoma Community House, on the Board of Trustees for the Tacoma Art Museum, and on the Board of Trustees for the Tacoma Public Library. He also volunteers as a mentor to local BIPOC and LGBTQ emerging leaders in Washington.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TCC Leadership Team
- Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
- Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Marissa R. Schlesinger began in her role as TCC's Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs in September of 2019. This leadership position serves as the chief academic officer of the college, providing the vision and leadership for the college's educational programs in a collaborative and equitable manner.
Schlesinger is a product of public K-12 education and was raised in Brooklyn by a mother and grandmother who were public educators and community college graduates. She received her B.A. in the Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East from Smith College, and her M.A. from the University of Toronto, where she is an A.B.D. in doctoral studies of ancient Egyptian civilization. She studied Egyptology at University College London and lectures on ancient Egyptian art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
A student-centered and equity-minded leader, Schlesinger joins TCC after having served as Associate Dean of Curriculum and First-Year Programs at Guttman Community College in New York City. Previously, she spent 13 years in faculty and administration at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York. Marissa is a recent alumna of the Aspen Institute's Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence. She has served as resource faculty at the Washington Center's National Summer Institutes and, separately, has worked with dozens of community colleges across the country, helping them focus on change for the improvement of equity and student learning, completion, transfer, and labor market outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Dean
- Dean for Business, Paralegal & Technology
Job Titles:
- Dean of Gig Harbor Campus & Continuing Education
Pat was appointed to the TCC Board of Trustees in November 2018. Pat worked at TCC as an instructor and administrator in the 1970's and went on to a career as a corporate organization and employee development professional with Weyerhaeuser Company, Puget Sound Bank and Puget Sound Power and Light. She co-chaired TCC's major campaign in 2005 and served for nine years on the TCC Foundation Board, with three of those years as president. In October 2018 she was officially recognized by the TCC Board of Trustees for her years of service to the college. In the community, Pat has served on the University of Washington Advisory Committee and the boards of Tacoma Actors Guild, the Children's Museum of Tacoma and the Tacoma Art Museum. She holds a B.A. in Social Services from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. in Occupational Education from Central Washington University.
Job Titles:
- Dean
- Dean for Enrollment & Student Success
Job Titles:
- Member of the TCC Leadership Team
- Vice President for Administrative Services
- VICE PRESIDENT for Finance and Administration
Patty McCray-Roberts recently joined TCC's leadership team as Vice President of Administrative Services in April 2020. The position serves as the chief financial officer of the college and provides the vision and leadership to the essential support areas that enhance institutional vitality. Patty strongly believes in the value of higher education in its ability to transform lives; the life of the student and the lives of their family for generations to come. As a low income, first generation college graduate, she experienced this transformation firsthand with the completion of a B.A in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Idaho and her M.B.A from Western Governor's University. Patty is a lifelong learner and is currently working on her B.S. in Accounting at Western Governor's University, with the goal of attaining her Master's in Accounting and her C.P.A. soon. Patty has extensive experience in finance and budget, strategic planning and assessment, facility and capital construction, emergency management, bookstore operations, personnel, and policy creation. A collaborative and innovative leader, Patty has had many successes in formulating successful organizational strategies. Prior to joining TCC, she served as the Director of Facilities Planning and Operations at Peninsula College for over 12 years, where she led the development of the facility master plan and the comprehensive emergency management plan which contributed to the completion of two major capital projects and three accreditation commendations for the college. At TCC, she has successfully led the college through a robust budgeting process and is the lead for the Covid-19 Recovery Plan.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Mr. Morrison joins TCC after serving as the Senior Associate Director of Diversity, Equity & Admission at Seattle University School of Law. He earned his BA in English from the University of Michigan and his JD from the University of Illinois College of Law. Mr. Morrison is a licensed attorney in the state of Illinois and has served in various teaching and administrative capacities at the University of Michigan, University of Illinois, and now Seattle University.
Mr. Morrison has a strong passion for social justice and equity and has attended the Annual Meeting of Law School Diversity Professionals Conference for several years. He is a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) and has attended the NADOHE conference yearly. In 2019, Mr. Morrison was inducted into the inaugural National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Ujima Institute where he received intensive training regarding working in Student Affairs and DEI in higher education.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TCC Leadership Team
- Vice President for College Relations
Adopted from Seoul, South Korea and raised in Hawaii, Tamyra moved to Tacoma to work as the neighborhoods/parks/housing reporter for The News Tribune, after interning at newspapers across the Pacific Northwest. She left journalism after five years and led internal communications in health care, before joining TCC in 2015, as its Director of Marketing and Communications. She became Executive Director in 2019, and Vice President, College Relations, in June of 2023. Tamyra oversees marketing and communications; government relations and community relations. Described as a connector, a leader, a mentor, and a person who is passionate about communications and relationships, Tamyra believes that at the end of the day, what matters most are the people she serves and how she can support shared goals to improve our community. She believes in TCC's students and the important work the employees do to help students achieve their dreams. A product of the community college system, Tamyra understands the struggles and triumphs our students face, and is committed to their success. She transferred from Portland Community College to earn her journalism degree from the University of Oregon, and later, as a working parent and professional, earned her M.A. in Leadership and Communication from Gonzaga University. She currently serves on the faculty of the UW Department of Communications and teaches PR and Society.
Job Titles:
- TCC Foundation Staff Member
- Grants Research Manager