Rachel Solemsaas is the top candidate to be Hawaii Community College’s next chancellor, the University of Hawaii announced this week.
Board of Regents’ Vice President for Community Colleges John F. Morton recommended Solemsaas from a pool of four candidates who flew in last month for interviews and a public open forum.
Solemsaas, 50, is currently vice president for finance and administrative services at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nev. Information on her LinkedIn profile shows she’s held the role since 2012.
She also worked for about seven years in finance administration at two Seattle-area community colleges and previously, as a principal accountant, a chief financial officer and a financial director in Washington state, according to a UH news release.
She is also president of the National Asian Pacific Islander Council, an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges.
In 2010, she was named a “Woman of Power in Education” by the Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation in Seattle, according to a news article.
Solemsaas was born in the Philippines and left as a young adult.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in public administration. In 2012, she also earned a doctorate in higher education with emphasis on community college leadership, where she researched topics including, financial barriers among foster youth in accessing community college education, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In her current role, she’s led Truckee through a financial crisis, established a budget development process and led teams through construction projects “on budget and on time with unique financing options,” according to the UH news release.
Last month she told the Tribune-Herald her first move as chancellor would be to learn more about HCC and issues students and faculty say are important.
“I need to learn about the institution and the work currently that people are doing,” Solemsaas said.
“In addition to attending to things we need to attend to like accreditation, it’s, beginning to have that dialogue (with students and faculty at HCC) of, where the institution needs to go and what should be my priorities. (HCC) is formed by them … and after all, this is what I’m here to do, I’m here to serve the institution.”
The final selection is contingent on approval Thursday from the full board — however historically the board has approved the chancellor recommendation.
Once selected, the new chancellor will start July 1.
