Moss Reflects On 20 Years of Service to CPTC

Clover Park Technical College trustee Mary Moss has spent nearly 20 years serving the college community on the CPTC Foundation Board and the CPTC Board of Trustees. As she concludes her time on the Board of Trustees, she remembers some of the highlights of her tenure:

My service to Clover Park Technical College over the past two decades has been all about the students.

Greeting students as they entered the college and seeing them smile as they walked across the stage to receive their diploma at graduation was the most rewarding

That student-focused mindset has driven me through six years on the CPTC Foundation Board and, more recently, 12 years as one of the college’s trustees. Initially appointed to the Board of Trustees by then-Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire in 2006 and reappointed by Gov. Jay Inslee, I have spent the past 12 years helping provide leadership and strategic guidance to the college.

Our mission was to provide education leading to competencies that met business and industry standards for a diverse workforce. The experience was rewarding and priceless for me.

My first assignment as a trustee was to hire a new president, and the board eventually selected Dr. John Walstrum. Walstrum served as college president until 2013, and I also had the honor to work with CPTC presidents Dr. Lonnie Howard and Dr. Joyce Loveday. I helped lead the college through the Great Recession and through the transition of several program offerings.

My key focus was always the students and ways for them to qualify for living wage jobs. That included making sure we offered programs that would qualify them to compete in the medical, aerospace aviation, automotive, trades, and manufacturing fields. These jobs will continue to be in-demand, and CPTC is always looking for advanced programs while keeping an eye on what jobs are emerging for our future students.

My final term on the board concluded in the fall, and my final CPTC Board of Trustees meeting was Dec. 12. At that meeting, the board approved Resolution 18-12-95, a recognition of services to highlight my years on the board, including serving as Board Chair in 2008-09 and 2014-15, stating that “Trustee Moss generously volunteered her time representing the College and participating in strategic College initiatives.” President Loveday also graciously presented me with a plaque to commemorate my service to the college.

I appreciate the personal responsibility of the trustees to ensure that CPTC operates with transparency and responsiveness for all students.