EQU Advisors Seeking Vice Provost for Bellevue College
May 6, 2025 – Executive search firm EQU Advisors was recently called in by Bellevue College to lead in its search for a strategic and experienced leader to serve as its vice provost. Reporting to the provost and vice president of academic affairs, this executive oversees the quality and integrity of Bellevue College’s academic offerings. The vice provost will serve as a key leader within academic affairs, providing direction, support, and acting as the backup to the provost. This executive leads efforts in academic program development, ensuring alignment with the college’s mission to promote student achievement, teaching excellence, and equity.
The vice provost supervises academic operations, academic supports, curriculum and assessment, grants, institutional effectiveness/research, and the center of excellence for information & computing technology, while supporting divisional deans in their leadership roles. Additionally, they will lead major initiatives such as Title III, Achieving the Dream (ATD), and Guided Pathways. Leading a team of exempt and classified staff, the vice provost’s role is highly visible and demanding, requiring regular interaction with all levels of the college community—from students and faculty to senior administration. The position ensures that academic programs meet the diverse needs of students while contributing to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of the region.
This role requires a master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in an instructional discipline of the college, educational administration, or a related field; doctorate or terminal degree is preferred, ideally in an appropriate and relevant field of study. The ideal candidate will have administrative and academic leadership experience from within higher education that shows increasing complexity and progressively responsible duties. Additionally, experience within the Washington community and technical college system is preferred.
The next vice provost will be a steadfast advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging across all dimensions of the college. This person will have a demonstrated record of success championing leadership efforts that advance racial equity and foster a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice. This person will have a demonstrated commitment to and track record of promoting and supporting the trajectory of students and the careers of individuals from historically excluded and underrepresented populations. The next vice provost will be self-motivated, proactive, resourceful, adept at building relationships, empathetic, a servant leader, and service-oriented with a keen focus on the organization they serve.
Bellevue College is a diverse student-centered college with the mission of teaching excellence that advances the life-long educational development of its students while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of its diverse community. Bellevue College is located 10 miles east of Seattle and has a student population of 20,000, with over 57 percent students of color, and over 1,300 international students.
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EQU Advisors has worked with Bellevue College in the past. Below is a list of searches the firm has completed for the school:
- President: David May, Ph.D.
- Provost and vice president of academic affairs: Jessica Clark, Ph.D.
- Vice president of administrative services: Jorge de la Torre, Ed.D.
- Vice president for student affairs: Judith Hernández Chapar, Ph.D.
- Interim vice president of institutional advancement/acting executive director college foundation: Michele Lahti, Ed.D.
Serving Higher Education and Non-Profit Institutions
EQU Advisors is co-founded by Veena Abraham and Robert Luke. The firm serves higher education and non-profit institutions and leaders through executive search, management consulting, and candidate advising. Throughout our careers, they have completed approximately 200 searches across a full range of private and public institutions including liberal arts colleges, regional universities and colleges, research universities and institutes, members of the Ivy League, as well as national non-profit organizations.
EQU Advisors’ experience includes searches for presidents and chief executive officers, provosts and vice presidents, deans and other leadership positions. Eighty-two percent of the firm’s placements within the last three years identified as women; Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, or from two or more races; and/or part of the LGBTQIA+ communities.
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Ms. Abraham draws upon her experience as an attorney, higher education administrator, and executive search consultant. Based in Orlando, FL, she has experience in a range of searches for senior academic administrators, including presidents, provosts, and deans at distinguished educational and cultural institutions across the nation. Prior to becoming a higher education consultant, Ms. Abraham was senior director of regional engagement for the University of Miami in Florida.
Mr. Luke draws upon 20 years of higher education consulting and administrative experience supporting universities, colleges, and non-profit institutions through complex leadership transitions. Based in Providence, RI, he has a record placing vice presidents for academic affairs, finance and development as well as deans of architecture, science and engineering, social work and social policy. Additionally, Mr. Luke has completed several CEO searches for leading scientific centers, institutes and laboratories, and non-profit organizations. In addition to consulting, he is known for his administrative and operational leadership, which he developed across a variety of sectors. He came to higher education consulting in 2013 from George Washington University.
Related: Finding Senior Leaders for Higher Education Institutions
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
