Meet the President’s Leadership Team
The President’s Leadership Team (PLT) helps keep college leadership connected and moving in the same direction. The team serves as a central place for communication, collaboration, and coordination across major college initiatives, helping ensure important work stays aligned and moves forward together.
Connect with the people helping lead across PCC:
Sarah Rose Evans
Strategic Planning Manager
she/her/hers, contact Sarah
Focus area: Strategic Planning
Sarah leads strategic planning efforts centered on student voice, institutional research, and collaborative engagement across the college community.
Current work includes:
- Student Community Hours and learner feedback initiatives
- External data collection with PCC partners
- Appreciative framework development
- Drafting the 2026 Synthesis Report
Brandon Gatke
Associate Vice President of IT and Information Security
he/him/his, contact Brandon
Focus area: Information Technology & Information Security
Brandon oversees enterprise technology strategy, information security, infrastructure reliability, and technology modernization efforts across PCC.
Current work includes:
- Technology reliability and lifecycle replacement
- AI and enterprise data reporting
- Student-ready access initiatives
- Workday implementation support
- Collaboration and engagement tools
Amanda Otto
Director of Talent Management and Development
she/her/hers, contact Amanda
Focus area: Employee Development & Learning
Amanda leads onboarding, compliance training, leadership development, and institutional learning initiatives designed to support employee growth and success.
Current work includes:
- Manager training and onboarding programs
- Hiring committee and bias-awareness training
- New employee orientation redesign
- Workday Learning implementation
- Faculty and non-credit instructor onboarding
Karen Paez
Associate Vice President of Academic & Career Pathways
she/her/hers, contact Karen
Focus area: Academic & Workforce Pathways
Karen oversees academic credit and non-credit programming, workforce development, and faculty support systems designed to strengthen student learning experiences.
Current work includes:
- Inclusive teaching and learning initiatives
- Faculty leadership onboarding and development
- Digital accessibility standardization
- ACP operational modernization
- Noncredit Integration and dynamic course scheduling initiatives
Lauren Smith
Associate Vice President of Student Wellbeing, Engagement & Belonging
she/her/hers, contact Lauren
Focus area: Student Wellbeing & Engagement
Lauren leads efforts supporting student wellbeing, engagement, leadership development, basic needs, and identity-based programming.
Current work includes:
- Workplace and community culture initiatives
- Student leadership and employment experience improvements
- Equity and accessibility initiatives
- Basic needs and poverty-informed work
- Drive to Thrive and Weeks of Welcome
Kellie Schellenberg
Executive Dean of Innovation & Technology
she/her/hers, contact Kellie
Focus area: Innovation, Online Learning & Student Systems
Kellie leads cross-functional innovation efforts spanning online learning, learning technologies, student systems, and enterprise transformation projects.
Current work includes:
- BIG (Bold Innovative Growth) project implementation
- Workday Student implementation
- Strategic course scheduling
- Online student success initiatives
- Academic and student affairs systems support
Katy Ho
Strategic Operations & Governance Leader
she/her/hers, contact Katy
Focus area: Institutional Operations & Shared Governance
Katy supports institution-wide coordination across operations, policy, planning, IT, PSEC, and communications initiatives.
Current work includes:
- Shared Governance implementation
- Institutional stabilization efforts
- Cross-functional operational alignment
- Governance structure development
Charisse Loughery
Associate Vice President of Student Affairs & Title IX/VI Coordinator
she/her/hers, contact Charisse
Focus area: Student Conduct, CARE & Civil Rights Compliance
Charisse oversees student conduct processes, CARE support systems, Title IX and VI compliance, and institutional response coordination.
Current work includes:
- Streamlining CARE and Basic Needs referrals
- Student Code of Conduct updates
- Title VI operational procedures
- Prevention education and investigator training
Vanessa Wood
Director of Grant Development
she/her/hers, contact Vanessa
Focus area: Grant Development & Institutional Funding
Vanessa leads PCC’s grant development strategy and supports cross-functional teams pursuing external funding opportunities aligned with institutional priorities.
Current work includes:
- Institutional grant development
- Academic and workforce grant partnerships
- Student services funding initiatives
- Cross-functional proposal coordination
Josh Peters-McBride
Associate Vice President of College Operations
he/him/his, contact Josh
Focus area: College Operations & Campus Infrastructure
Josh oversees facilities, safety, emergency preparedness, athletics, planning and construction, and operational continuity across the college.
Current work includes:
- FY27–29 center strategies and operational planning
- 2022 Bond project implementation
- Emergency response and continuity planning
- Student-centered operational support initiatives
- Campus scheduling and accessibility improvements
Ryan Clark
Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management & Student Success
he/him/his, contact Ryan
Focus area: Enrollment & Student Success
Ryan leads strategic enrollment management, financial aid, partnerships, career and academic planning, and student onboarding initiatives.
Current work includes:
- Strategic enrollment planning alignment
- Hispanic-serving readiness and Guided Pathways integration
- New student onboarding redesign
- Slate CRM and placement modernization
- Workday Student alignment and implementation
Khylie Gardner
Associate Vice President of Marketing & Communications
she/her/hers, contact Khylie
Focus area: Marketing, Brand, Public Relations & Internal Communications
Khylie leads PCC’s marketing, brand strategy, public relations, web communications, and employee communications efforts, with a focus on improving the student and employee experience at the college.
Current work includes:
- Improving the student-facing web and digital experience to better support student decision-making
- Strengthening internal communication systems to increase clarity, consistency, and employee engagement
- Aligning marketing strategy with enrollment goals, including lead generation and conversion tracking
- Supporting consistency and institutional storytelling across the college
Dieterich Steinmetz
Dean, Effectiveness and Planning
he/him/his, contact Dieterich
Focus area: Institutional Effectiveness, Planning & Continuous Improvement
Dieterich leads work focused on institutional effectiveness, labor market information, program and unit review, and continuous improvement efforts that support strategic planning and data-informed decision-making across the college.
Current work includes:
- Advancing institutional success metrics and reporting
- Developing maturity models for program and unit review
- Supporting data governance and data literacy initiatives
- Helping guide institutional readiness for Workday transitions
- Strengthening continuous improvement practices across PCC
Also on PLT: Michelle Cowing and Michael Reis. Their information will be added soon. Information may be updated as information and priorities evolve.