Feb 15, 2019 3:57 pm
Pierce College Chancellor Michele Johnson recently appointed Deidre Soileau as interim president of Pierce College Fort Steilacoom. Former President Denise Yochum announced her retirement on Jan. 2, 2019, after serving 13 years.
“It is an honor to follow Denise Yochum,” Soileau said. “My hope is to preserve her legacy while the college searches for the next president. Her collaborative, forthright approach, and her unsurpassed focus on student and staff success make her a much admired member of the Pierce College family.”
Soileau has been Pierce College’s vice president for strategic advancement and executive director of the foundation since 2013. Prior to her time at Pierce College, she held similar positions at community colleges in Ohio and Maryland, and was a strategic research and communications consultant for many years. Although Soileau had announced her retirement from Pierce College effective February 1, she has put those plan on temporary hold as the college launches a nationwide search for its next president. A permanent president is anticipated to be in place by July 1, 2019.