Spokane Community College (SCC) has appointed Dr. Katie Kleinhesselink as its new Dean of Rural Education. Kleinhesselink began her Colville-based role leading SCC’s rural campuses on July 1.
Kleinhesselink brings to the role two decades of experience expanding educational access, building partnerships, and directing resources to support rural communities.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Katie Kleinhesselink to Spokane Community College," said SCC President Dr. Jenni Martin. "As a first-generation college student from a rural working-class background, she brings lived experience alongside professional expertise to questions of equity and what it means for institutions to genuinely serve the places they call home.”
In her new role, Kleinhesselink will oversee and support Spokane Community College's rural campuses in Colville, Inchelium, Newport, and Republic while working closely with faculty, staff, students and community partners to expand educational opportunities throughout northeastern Washington.
“I'm deeply grateful for this opportunity to join Spokane Community College,” said Kleinhesselink. "I have a deep conviction that rural students and institutions belong at the center of higher education scholarship, policy, and public life and should be recognized for the assets, talents, and civic commitments they bring to their regions and to the country."