Jackson, Mississippi — Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) has named Mark Mitsui, president of Portland Community College in Oregon, to its Presidential Advisory Board.
He joins 41 other college presidents from across the nation on the board and will provide input into the organization’s strategic plan, priorities, and direction.
Advisory Board members advocate for Phi Theta Kappa, its members, and its mission; serve as liaisons between PTK headquarters and the college leaders in their states; and advise the Society’s CEO and other senior leaders.
Mitsui began his tenure as president of Portland Community College on September 1, 2016.
He previously served as deputy assistant secretary for community colleges within the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education for the U.S. Department of Education. In this position, Mitsui worked to advance President Obama’s community college agenda through partnerships with federal agencies and national stakeholders. He co-led the “My Brother’s Keeper” postsecondary completion interagency team, working to improve college access and completion for young men of color.
Before serving in the Obama administration, Mitsui was president of North Seattle College from 2010 to 2013. He was founding chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Association of Colleges and Universities, a member of the National Asian/Pacific Islander Council of the American Association of Community Colleges, and received the Rhonda Quash Coates Award for contributions to the Multicultural Student Services Directors Council of Washington state.
Mitsui holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Western Washington University and completed a master’s degree and doctoral studies in education at the University of Washington.