President

John Paul Johnston, Divers Institute of Technology, Seattle WA

During his distinguished 30-year career, Mr. Johnston was a member of the Navy's deepest diving team, reaching a depth of 1800 feet at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit in Panama City, Florida and participated in several major diving and salvage projects. Mr. Johnston commanded one of the Navy's largest diving and salvage ships, the USS Edenton (ATS -1). While in command, the USS Edenton conducted the first efforts towards salvaging pieces of the Civil War Ironclad USS Monitor. Additionally, he completed several assignments involving research, development, testing and evaluation of new diving equipment and systems. Mr. Johnston's educational experience includes teaching navigation, ship handling and composite warfare concepts at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He has served as director of Divers Institute of Technology since 2000.

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President Elect

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Vice President

Walter Leathers, Executive Director, Apollo College, Spokane, WA

Walter Leathers accepted the position as Executive Director of the Portland Campus of Apollo College in late 2007. Prior to that time he had served as Executive Director of the Apollo College Spokane since May of 2005.

Walt came to the Spokane campus in October 2005 from Apollo's Albuquerque, New Mexico campus where he was the Director of Admissions. While in Spokane, the campus earned US Education's Campus of the Quarter award. Under his leadership in Albuquerque and during an interim Executive Director position at the Apollo Tucson campus, staff and faculty have also received numerous recognitions.

Walt began work for Apollo College as an instructor in the Pharmacy Technician program in Albuquerque. Prior to this he owned a cellular phone store with multiple outlets in the Albuquerque area. He was the Director of Training for the University of Excellence based in Kansas City, MO. Walt is veteran of both the United States Army and the United States Navy. Walt, his wife Lisa, and their four children live in Washington.

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Secretary

Kimberly Lothyan, President, Everest College, Everett, WA

Kimberly Lothyan accepted the position as President of Everest College in Everett in September 2003. Previously Ms. Lothyan served as the Vice President of Education for Ashmead College and Eton Technical Institute. Her passion for education inspired her to develop new curriculum that served the best interests of the students. Her experience with curriculum development and education began with her days at ITT Technical Institute and Western Washington University where she developed curriculum and taught business courses. Prior to her work in education she was in the banking environment as an Operations Manager, supervising customer relations, marketing new accounts and overseeing several branch operational functions. Kim holds a Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University and a Masters of Business Administration from Western Washington University. She currently serves on the Private Vocational School Advisory Committee to the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. Kim is a former board member with the Washington Federation of Private Career Schools and Colleges.

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Treasurer

Wayne Matulich, Director, ITT Technical Institute, Portland OR

Wayne Matulich has over 30 years of experience in all areas of corporate management. He has held positions in operations, business development, information systems management, systems and application development and as an internal consultant in the area of business performance improvement. Currently the College Director for ITT Technical Institute's Portland campus, Wayne is responsible for all functional departments of the college including Academics, Curriculum, Financial Aid, Recruiting and Career Services. Portland takes a cross-functional approach to deliver the Student Experience.

While at E*Trade Financial, Wayne had responsibility for the development and delivery of advanced function products and services delivered across the E*Trade Financial ATM Network. Involved in high-technology and change management throughout his career, Wayne has a toolbox of experience dealing with the emotions of change, the barriers to success and the enablers of successful change management. He has been instrumental in the development of processes connected to business strategy, organizational culture, and the alignment of technology and resources to business needs. He is recognized for an ability to break down organizational barriers through effective interpersonal and facilitation skills. Through the engagement of cross-functional assessment, he has been successful in introducing organizations to a "big picture" mentality and enabling a shift in focus from one of functional needs to servicing customer needs all with the expectation and goal of delivering "Shareholder Value".

Mr. Matulich has conducted numerous reengineering and process design projects resulting in dramatic improvement to business and technology performance in areas including consumer relations, hotel operations, consumer and mortgage loan origination, ATM and EFT processing operations, direct marketing, technology fulfillment, strategic planning, cash management and Education.

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Past President

Lynn Rullman, President, International Air & Hospitality Academy, Vancouver, WA

Lynn Rullman is co-president of International Air & Hospitality Academy, a position she has held since purchasing the school in 1999. She has been with the Academy since 1994.Lynn is actively involved in the education community. She has served as Director at Large (four years) and then President (one year) of the Washington Federation of Private Career Schools and Colleges (predecessor to the Northwest Career Colleges Federation) and has served on the WTECB's Private Vocational School Advisory Committee. At the national level she has been involved with the Career College Association's "Storm the Hill Day" and CCA's Political Action Committee.

Lynn is a 1996 graduate of a two year management training program titled Executive Balance and is a 1997 graduate of Leadership Clark County, which is a similar program offered through the Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. Lynn is also actively involved as the Director of the International Committee as well as Youth Exchange Chair of the Greater Clark County Rotary Club. She serves on several local committees including the Clark County Graffiti Taskforce, YWCA's Kid's Care Program, And the Lunch Buddy Program though the Vancouver School District.

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Director-at-Large Position One

Randy Rogers, Regional Vice President, Everett Colleges

Randy Rogers' history with private career education began more than 20 years ago as an instructor for Western Business College in Vancouver, Washington. After three years, he became the branch Dean, then Director. In 1990, he was promoted to Director of Oregon Polytechnic Institute in Portland, a technical college specializing in electronics, CAD design, and desktop publishing/graphic arts. In 1993, Randy returned to Western Business College as President of both the Portland and Vancouver campuses. In August 2003 he was named Regional Vice President for the Everest College and Ashmead College campuses in the Northwest. He continues his long-standing association with ACICS as a team reviewer. Randy holds a BA from the University of Washington, and upon graduation, was with the accounting firm of Peat Marwick Mitchell in Anchorage. He has been associated with the NWCCF and its predecessor "for longer than he can remember" and looks forward to his work on behalf of the Association during the upcoming years. Randy resides in Portland with his two daughters, Rochelle, 19, and Brittany, 16.

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Director-at-Large Position Two

Mickey Sieracki, President, Everest College, Portland, OR

Mickey Sieracki joined Corinthian Colleges as the President of Everest College in Portland in October 2004. Prior to that time she was Executive Director of Apollo College in Portland for two years. She also served as Dean of Instruction and then Dean of Technology & Business Programs at Heald College in Portland. Mickey and her husband moved to Oregon in 1998 from Virginia. In Virginia, Mickey worked in the public education sector as Director of the Medical Technology program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk as well as an instructor in clinical biochemistry. She served as Administrative Director of Laboratories at De Paul Medical Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Mickey worked in real estate marketing and sales when her children were young, something she feels has helped her enormously in understanding the admissions side of education. Mickey has a BA in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Physics, and an MA in Higher Education from George Washington University. Mickey and her husband Charlie live in Portland. They have two grown sons and a new grandson, all of whom live on the East Coast.

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Director-at-Large Position Three

Christine Cote`, President, Perry Technical Institute

Christine Cote` Christine Cote was serving as Vice President of Operations for Perry Technical Institute prior to being appointed President January 1, 2008. Prior to that time she had served as Director of the Perry Technical Institute Foundation from November 1997 to May 2007. In that role Christine managed and grew the Foundation to phenomenal success allowing hundreds of students to benefit from scholarships and equipment funded through the Foundation. Christine has a Bachelor of Arts in Community Health from Central Washington University. She is involved in the Yakima business community and is a member of the Kiwanis Club. She is married with two children

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Director-at-Large Position Four

Chuck Ericson, Executive Director, Apollo College, Boise, ID

Chuck has more than 10 years of experience in postsecondary education. He began his course of vocation in the career college sector as a high school presenter with Heald Colleges in San Francisco. During his tenure with Heald he served students in various roles including admissions, career services, and in the classroom as a general education instructor. He then worked as Director of Admissions and then as School President for Corinthian Colleges. Immediately prior to joining Apollo College in Boise he served as Executive Director at Silicon Valley College in Fremont, California. Silicon Valley College is owned and operated by U.S. Education Corporation, Apollo's parent company.

Prior to beginning his career in postsecondary education Chuck worked as an individual and group therapist for adults and adolescents with severe emotional disturbances and chronic mental illness. He holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Most importantly, he is the dad to three wonderful young children (Ben, Emily, and Katie) and husband to an amazing wife.

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Director-at-Large Position Five

Jon Alberts, President, Western Culinary Institute, Portland, OR

Jon Alberts has been President of Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, a Career Education Corporation school, since 2007. Mr. Alberts entered the post-secondary education industry in 2002 as President of Scottsdale Culinary Institute, an affiliated school, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Like Western Culinary Institute, Scottsdale Culinary Institute is also affiliated with Le Cordon Bleu International and teaches the same excellent programs. During his 5½ years as President, the Institute grew from offering one academic program in Culinary Arts to seven Le Cordon Bleu programs in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality and Restaurant Management. Included in Scottsdale Culinary Institute's program offerings are two Bachelor of Arts degrees, the only two available in the Le Cordon Bleu network in the United States.

Prior to entering the education field, Mr. Alberts worked in the hotel and resort business, beginning in 1985 with Red Lion Hotels and Inns. He was with Red Lion for the next 13 years in various management positions including Food and Beverage Director and General Manager in a variety of locations in the Pacific Northwest, Utah and Arizona. His last position in the Portland/Vancouver area was as General Manager of the Red Lion Inn at the Quay in the mid 1990's. He continued to manage hotels and resorts with brands such as Doubletree, Embassy Suites and Sheraton until 2002 when joined Career Education Corporation. Mr. Alberts has served on boards of various civic and industry organizations throughout his hospitality and post-secondary education career.

Mr. Alberts received his Associate of Occupational Studies with honors at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He is married and has three school age children.

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Director-at-Large Position Six

Reed Hackett, Chief Academic Officer, DeVry University, Seattle Metro

Reed Hackett has spent his entire career in education. He received his bachelor's degree in Humanities from Arizona State University in 1974 and his master's in English Literature from there in 1976. He also completed all requirements for the PhD except the dissertation at ASU. During his time there he was a Graduate Teaching Associate in the Department of English. In 1984 he also received his MBA from the University of Phoenix.

In 1978 Reed joined the Phoenix campus of DeVry University (then DeVry Institute of Technology) as an instructor. In 1981 he was promoted to Dean of General Education and in 1984 became the Dean of Academic Affairs, a position he held until 2000. In 2000, he was appointed Interim President of Denver Technical College (now DeVry University, Denver), and in 2001 became the founding president of the Seattle Metro region of DeVry University (including locations in Bellevue, Federal Way, and Portland), a position he held through the end of 2007. Currently he is the Chief Academic Officer for the Seattle Metro.

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Director-at-Large Position Seven

Dr. Shane Reeder, Campus Director, Stevens-Henager College, Boise, ID

Shane Reeder is currently the Executive Director running the Boise Campus of Stevens-Henager College. Formerly, he was the Associate Dean of Business at the Logan Campus. Mr. Reeder has been with the College since 2004. Prior to 2004, he was a practicing attorney, prosecutor, and pro-tem judge in the Portland Oregon area. Mr. Reeder graduated from Utah State University, Logan Utah – BA Political Science (Minors – English, Japanese, Business Administration); Willamette University, Salem Oregon – JD and Certificate of Dispute Resolution; and Portland State University, Portland Oregon – MIM (Masters of International Management). In his spare time, Mr. Reeder likes to garden, do woodworking, camp, hike, and travel. His favorite place to travel is the Orient. Mr. Reeder has been married for 23 years and has four children ranging in age from 18 years-old to 4 years-old.

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Director-at-Large Position Eight

Jason Chu, Chief Operating Officer, DigiPen Institute of Technology

Mr. Chu has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of DigiPen (USA) Corporation ("DigiPen") and DigiPen Institute of Technology ("DIT"). He has been working with DigiPen for the past eighteen years. Mr. Chu was one of the engineers who developed the world's first curriculum for a Bachelor Degree of Science in Real Time Interactive Simulation (game programming) in 1996. DIT is an accredited college offering Bachelor and Master's degrees in the area of software and computer engineering, as well as in 3D computer animation.

In 2000, Mr. Chu initiated cooperation between DigiPen Institute of Technology and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in the State of Washington to offer a first-of-its-kind program in the high school system. The program teaches mathematics, computer science and computer animation to high school students by applying the various topics into game productions. Students in the program have shown increased interests in mathematics and sciences, which allowed them to become better prepared for post-secondary studies.

Mr. Chu serves as one of the Advisory Members in a new initiative, Power Users of Technology. The initiative hopes to develop a global strategy to learn with and from power users of technology; to develop new knowledge about how they think and solve problems. The initiative will study their emerging culture and inform content experts (education, cognitive development, sociology, anthropology, workforce/economic development), as well as business and industry leaders of their interests and needs for support.

Mr. Chu has been working with the Singapore government to establish a branch campus of DigiPen Institute of Technology in Singapore. The new campus is due to begin its inaugural class in September 2007.

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Non Voting Members

Theresa Taggart, McGraw-Hill, Santa Clara, CA

Theresa Taggart is a Senior Account Manager with McGraw-Hill Higher Education's Career College Group working with the career colleges in Northern California, Oregon and Washington. She has been with McGraw-Hill for 14 years and has over twenty years experience in education, publishing and technology. Theresa lives in Santa Clara, California with her husband Jim, son Chris, 16, and daughter Katie, 13.

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Tony Garife, Edfund

Tony Garife is the Director of Corporate Clients for EdFund. EdFund is the nation's second largest provider of student loan guaranty services under the FFEL Program. Tony has over 18 years of industry experience, including 10 years working as a Financial Aid Director. Tony has been active serving on committees and presenting at state and regional conferences within WASFAA and RMASFAA. Tony holds a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Washington and a Bachelor's degree in Speech Communication from San Diego State University. He resides in Castle Rock, Colorado with his wife Lisa and their three sons, Branson 12, Mitchell 8, and Carter 5.

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Mary Lyn Hammer, Champion College Solutions, Mesa, AZ

Ms. Mary Lyn Hammer's belief that education is the vehicle for making dreams come true has led her in a passionate fight, that began in 1987, for identifying problems in the higher education industry and finding solutions to insure future participation for all students. Her innovative "Hands On" Default Management Program is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for its remarkable results. Ms. Hammer is the Owner, Founder, President and CEO of Champion College Solutions, an international company offering default prevention, job placement verification, skip tracing, education debt recovery, and consulting services.

Ms. Hammer has actively worked with the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Education since 1988. Her many recognized accomplishments include, most recently, the 2005 CCA National Achievement Award for the Allied Member of the Year. She has numerous elections to the Board of Directors and currently serves with Career College Association (CCA), the Northwest Career Colleges Federation (NWCCF) and is the Chairwoman of the Board for the HEAL Coalition (Higher Education Allied Health Leaders Coalition).

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