Kerry Howell

As the Vice Chancellor for Advancement, Kerry Howell brings to bear more than three decades of experience in philanthropy and organizational development on behalf of the district. Working directly with the Seattle Colleges Foundation, the district’s unified, institutionally related foundation, she coordinates fundraising and related efforts to help advance the mission of Seattle Colleges.

While she began her career in broadcast news in the late 1980s, Howell quickly turned her talents for communication and fundraising to higher education, serving as Director of Development for the Colleges of Education and Engineering at Washington State University, as well as the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. In addition to directorships at Seattle organizations such Groundwire, Mutual Interest and The Hope Heart Institute, she has also sat on the boards of several notable Seattle organizations including Common Ground, FareStart and the Wing Luke Museum.

Prior to joining the district’s administration in April 2019, Howell steered the communications and advancement programs for a wide array of nonprofit, media, healthcare and educational organizations, powering vital grant and fundraising development for such diverse clients as the North Hawai’i Community Hospital in Kamuela, HI, social change organization Encore.org of San Francisco, and the Keck Graduate Institute of Claremont, CA.

Howell continues to split her time between the district and working as a consultant in philanthropy and organizational development for startups, small businesses and nonprofit organizations, leading clients in developing their fundraising, online marketing, recruitment, and more.