Spokane Falls Community College Leadership Transitions Announced

Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) Vice President Darren Pitcher, EdD., will replace current SFCC President Jan Gullickson beginning July 1.

This transition was announced today by Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) Chancellor Christine Johnson.

Gullickson, SFCC president since 2012, will become the next president of Germanna Community College in Virginia in July. Prior to becoming president of SFCC, she was CCS chief academic officer.

"Dr. Gullickson has been an outstanding president for SFCC, and I anticipate she will find similar success at Germanna," Johnson said. "She has been dedicated to providing students with a high quality education and pursuing changes that have improved enrollment and graduation rates.”

Pitcher will serve as acting president for a year while a nationwide search is conducted. In addition to being vice president of student services since 2012, he also has been vice president of learning for the past year. “I cannot think of a better person to serve in this important role,” Johnson said. “Dr. Pitcher has demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment as vice president and I know that dedication to serving our students will continue in this new role.”

Pitcher led SFCC’s Achieving the Dream initiative and developed early alert and comprehensive enrollment management strategies. Prior to working at SFCC, Pitcher worked for 13 years in leadership roles at Miles Community College in Montana.

Pitcher has a doctoral degree and a master’s degree from Fielding Graduate University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University-Billings and an associate of science from Miles Community College.

“I am tremendously honored to be chosen as acting president and look forward to supporting the work of our faculty, staff and students here at Spokane Falls Community College,” Pitcher said.

Pitcher’s first action was to appoint SFCC Dean of Student Support Services Chrissy Davis Jones, EdD. to serve as acting vice president of student services. Before being selected as dean in 2016, Davis Jones served for six years as SFCC’s associate dean of student development. Davis Jones has earned national recognition for her research on academic advising and serves on the National Academic Advising Association Board as well as other academic organizations and community public service organizations.

Davis Jones is also an instructor for National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) eTutorial program in partnership with the Kansas State University's College of Education, and an adjunct faculty member for the Graduate Studies program in the College of Education at Whitworth University. Davis Jones will begin serving in her new role on July 1. 

"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the acting vice president of student services,” Davis Jones said. “I feel privileged to have this opportunity to work with my colleagues; a strong team of professionals who believe in our future—students. I look forward to listening to their visions on the future of student success at SFCC that includes their roles in bringing this vision to fruition."

SFCC and Spokane Community College are part of Community Colleges of Spokane, a district serving about 30,000 students in a six-county region.