Dr. Kimberlee Messina Departs to Serve as Chancellor of City College of San Francisco
Spokane Colleges today announced Dr. Kimberlee Messina will depart her role as president of Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) to serve as chancellor of City College of San Francisco. Dr. Messina has served as president of SFCC since her appointment in 2019, leading the college through the COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing initiatives that have increased persistence and completion rates and that have helped establish SFCC as a leader in higher education within the state.
“City College of San Francisco will be in good hands with Dr. Messina,” said Spokane Colleges Chancellor Dr. Kevin Brockbank. “During her tenure, President Messina has worked through numerous challenges and created new opportunities for the faculty, staff, and students of SFCC. Let me be one of the first to publicly congratulate her on this amazing opportunity and thank her for all she has given to SFCC over the past six years.”
While SFCC undertakes the process of selecting Dr. Messina’s successor over the next year, SFCC Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick McEachern will serve as Interim President. McEachern joined Spokane Colleges as an instructional designer in 2014 and has served in several leadership roles at the college including Associate Provost.
“I firmly believe that President Messina is leaving our college in a strong position, well-prepared to make this next transition,” said McEachern. “When I think about the contrast between our college when President Messina first came to us and where we are at today, I am filled with gratitude.”
By serving as interim president, McEachern is excluded from consideration for the permanent position.
Spokane Colleges leadership has emphasized continuity during the transition. Chancellor Brockbank said, “My primary focus as we begin this transition is to ensure stability of the work and vision already existing at SFCC and make sure that we put people in place who will help all of Spokane Colleges move forward together.”
About Spokane Colleges - Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College are part of Spokane Colleges, one of the largest higher education providers in Eastern Washington, serving about 20,000 students each year. Spokane Colleges provide higher education, early learning and corporate and continuing education services across a six-county region in northeastern Washington. Both colleges are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.