The Seattle College District is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Washington State Governor and approved by the State Senate for sequential five-year terms. The primary responsibility of the Board of Trustees is to meet the changing educational needs of the community while reflecting the community’s values in fulfilling the college mission.
Trustees certify the consistency of college missions and goals, formulate policy, and ensure effective leadership and responsible use of resources. They are responsible for hiring the chancellor, who is the chief executive officer of the Seattle College District and reports to the Board.
Rosa Peralta is an independent consultant working in the field of civil rights, juvenile justice, community engagement, education and healthcare. Peralta’s work focuses on developing tools and standards to improve and increase collaboration among public institutions, nonprofit organizations and foundations to promote programs and systems that protect and advance the rights of youth and poor people.
Peralta volunteers her time at several local nonprofits and serves on the boards of TeamChild and the Latinx Health Board. She is also an active member of Latinos Promoting Good Health and the Community Health Workers Coalition for Immigrants and Refugees.
Peralta immigrated to Washington from Mexico and has lived in Seattle for more than 20 years. Peralta graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She is a PhD candidate (ABD) at the University of Michigan, where she earned her Masters in Sociology.
Businesswoman Carmen Gayton is a well-known managing broker with Windermere Real Estate, where she specializes in relocation and is a certified relationship marketing specialist. Previously, she held leadership positions in Human Resources at the Weyerhaeuser Company and at Coopers & Lybrand LLP.
Trustee Gayton is equally well known for her service on the boards of organizations such as ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists), PONCHO (Patrons of Northwest Civic, Cultural and Charitable Organizations), The Lakeside School, and the YWCA. In addition, she is a sustainer with the Junior League of Seattle and has volunteered with Treehouse and the Northwest African-American Museum Gala Committee.
She received the Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Community Service Award from the Junior League of Seattle in 2014 and recognized by the Asian Weekly for Women and Money: Making a Difference. The Washington State African Achievement Awards recognized her as one of the recipients of the 2017 Women of Distinction honorees.
Trustee Gayton is originally from South Carolina, where she attended Clemson University and earned a B.S. degree in Mathematical Sciences with a Biology Option. She has lived in Seattle for more than 25 years.
Louise Chernin is president and CEO of the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), the largest LGBT Chamber of Commerce in the United States. The GSBA has over 1,200 members. In addition to business development and advocacy on behalf of business and civil rights, GSBA sponsors a Scholarship Fund that has awarded over $2.7 million to 500 LGBTQ students in Washington state. Our students have received many of these scholarships.
In addition to her role with GSBA, Louise has served on a number of city, state and national boards and task forces. Louise was named by the Puget Sound Business Journal as one of the top 20 most influential women in Puget Sound. In 2010, the Economic Opportunity Institute honored Louise with its Aubrey Davis Award for Progressive Leadership, and in 2011 U.S. Congressman Jim McDermott honored her with his Community Leadership and Service Award. The Seattle Storm presented Ms. Chernin with its 2013 Inspiring Women award, and in January 2015 the UW Women’s Center honored her with its Women of Courage Award. This past year, Louise was honored by the Puget Sound Business Journal with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Louise is a longtime supporter of our colleges and our students. She is excited about serving our community as a member of the board of trustees.
Trustee Hill has a broad background working with public agencies and in the private sector. He served as director of the state Department of Retirement Systems starting in 2009, and as director of the Health Care Authority from 2005 to 2010. He also has served on the Washington State Investment Board and the Washington State University Board of Regents. He is currently a member of the boards for The Seattle Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Seattle City Club, KUOW, and MODA Health. He also teaches Management in the Seattle program for Presidio Graduate School.
Trustee Hill entered public service following a career in the business community. In 2003, he retired as senior vice president of human resources for the Weyerhaeuser Company after a 32 year career.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA degree from University of California at Los Angeles.
Teresita Batayola is CEO of International Community Health Services, Washington state’s largest Asian and Pacific Islander non-profit organization providing primary health care services. Prior to entering the health care field, Batayola worked and practiced in economic development, community and international development, and strategic planning.
Batayola is president of the Washington Association of Community and Migrant Health Centers and serves on the boards of the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, the Community Health Plan, Community Health Network and the Community Clinic Contracting Network.
An active spokesperson and public speaker on affordable health care, Batayola was named by Seattle Business Magazine as an outstanding leader in health care in 2010, and was recognized in 2014 as a White House Champion of Change for increasing access to health care coverage.
Batayola holds a BA in Public Affairs from Seattle University and an MS in Urban Administration from Bucknell University.
All meetings are on the second Thursday of the month. Study Sessions will begin at 1:30 p.m. Regular meetings will begin at 3:00 p.m. Dates and locations of the meetings are noted below.
All meetings are on the second Thursday of the month (with no meeting in August).
Printable 2017-18 Meeting Schedule
Meeting Schedule
Board Member Institution of the League for Innovation