Executive Team Leadership Update: Wendy Coates

Dear Campus Community,

I want to share that Wendy Coates, Associate Vice President of Development and Community Engagement and Executive Director of the Shoreline College Foundation, will be leaving the College at the end of April to pursue a new leadership opportunity.

Wendy’s impact on Shoreline has been both meaningful and far-reaching. She has approached her work here with a strong commitment to our students and a clear belief in the role the Foundation plays in supporting their success.

During her time here, Wendy built a collaborative, high-functioning Foundation team and strengthened systems that directly support students. She led efforts to improve and align our scholarship program with federal and donor expectations, while ensuring equitable evaluation methods. She and her team also revitalized alumni engagement through the launch of the Shoreline’s Alumni Network and a dedicated alumni steering committee.

Her leadership expanded how we support students and employees across the College. This includes launching FAFSA Cliff funding, strengthening emergency support through the Benefits Hub, expanding Faculty Excellence Awards, and partnering to provide additional funding for Innovation Grants. She also helped establish funding for HR initiatives focused on employee retention and staff satisfaction.

Wendy played a key role in strengthening the Foundation’s financial position during a critical period. Following the ransomware incident, she led efforts to rebuild records and restore fund balances, successfully negotiating a long-stalled agreement with the College, and guided the completion of three years of audits in just two years; all resulting in clean audits with no findings. She also put in place financial practices and reporting that will continue to support the Foundation’s stability and strategic growth.

Please join me in thanking Wendy for her contributions to Shoreline and for the work she has done to support our students, employees, and community.  We wish her the best of luck as she moves on to a new chapter.

We will share more information soon about interim leadership for the Foundation and next steps moving forward.

Cheers,

Jack

Jack S. Kahn, Ph.D.

President

Shoreline College

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