Executive Team Roles and Responsibilities:
The President's Executive Team (E-Team) is only one decision-making facet in the overall shared governance structure at Clover Park Technical College. As part of this executive leadership team, their role is to provide strategic input into CPTC's instructional portfolio, institutional budget planning process, and the delivery of comprehensive student support services. Additionally, the E-Team advises the President on matters related to personnel, facilities, and operations.
Thomas Broxson
Vice President for Instruction
Dr. Thomas Broxson serves the Vice President of Instruction at CPTC, helping to create a vision for the future of education in our community. As a member of the executive team, Broxson works across departmental units to build partnerships to support effective operations, and promote student success through a Guided Pathways framework, maintaining a focus on closing equity gaps for students. Broxson oversees the successful operation of programs and functions within the transitional studies, academic, professional technical, and workforce programs, as well as the Northwest Career and Technical High School.
Additionally, he serves as a Leadership Coach for the Achieving the Dream network, helping colleges identify and implement strategies to increase student success and close equity gaps across the nation. Previously Broxson served as the District Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Pierce College and led the college’s award-winning efforts with Achieving the Dream to improve student outcomes. Broxson holds graduate degrees in geography and education and before moving into an administrative position nine years ago, he spent 17 years as a faculty member with stints at Oregon State University, Willamette University, Linn-Benton Community College, and Pierce College, teaching history, geography, and environmental science. He is a passionate believer in the community and technical college mission and its power to transform lives, families, and communities.
Samantha Dana
Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness
Samantha Dana serves as the Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and provides leadership for the CPTC Foundation, Marketing and Communications, Institutional Research, Grants, Accreditation, Shared Governance, and Strategic Planning. She joined CPTC in June 2018 as the Director of Institutional Research and Grants. She is the College's Accreditation Liaison Officer with NWCCU.
Dana began her career in higher education in the grants office at Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, MA as the Grants Researcher and then Director of Grants Research and Evaluation. Prior to higher education, she was a research assistant at a federal budget think tank.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master's of science in Government Analytics with a concentration in Statistical Analysis from The Johns Hopkins University. Dana is working on her EdD in adult and higher education at Oregon State University.
Amelia Grayson
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Amelia Grayson joined the executive team at CPTC as the Vice President for Finance and Administration in August 2023. In her role, Grayson oversees a range of departments, including budget and finance, capital projects, information technology, operations, facilities, campus security, and more.
The Tacoma native comes to CPTC with over 25 years of experience in accounting. She spent a number of years in the healthcare industry. She was most recently Director of Operations at Lighthouse Christian School in Gig Harbor and is currently an adjunct professor for Seattle Central College.
Grayson earned a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and went on to attain a Master's in Business Administration, both from University of Phoenix. Having begun her postsecondary education at a local community college, she is passionate about making a positive impact on our community and the importance of providing access and opportunity to a local, community education for everyone.
Dean Kelly
Vice President for Student Success
Dean Kelly joined Clover Park Technical College in July 2014 and serves as the Vice President for Student Success. He started at CPTC as the Director of Advising, establishing a new proactive advising model that matched advisors with programs and creating closer connections with faculty and students in the classroom. He also served as the Dean for Student Success with responsibilities for Student Conduct, behavior intervention, and Title IX. Since 2017, he has held the role of co-chair of the Guided Pathways/Achieving the Dream committee, facilitating campus-wide improvement efforts focused on increasing student access, retention, and completion. In addition, he is a Guided Pathways coach for Washington State through the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
His 30-year career has spanned K-12, non-profit, and higher education industries serving as a middle school and high school teacher, grant writer, Director of TRIO Programs, and student administration. He earned a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education from Pacific Lutheran University and a master's in public administration from the University of Washington.
James Neblett
Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Culture
Dr. James Neblett oversees all HR-related matters, including talent management/acquisition, labor and employee relations, training and development, performance management, benefits and compensation, employee communications and more. He also works with senior leaders to help ensure equity, diversity and inclusion are prioritized and reflected in CPTC’s human resources programs, practice and policies.
With 15 years of experience as a human resources leader, Neblett came to CPTC with specialized experience in organizational development, strategy, training and employee relations. He has managed and streamlined HR operations for several notable organizations on the East and West coasts, including NantWorks/ImmunityBio, AT&T and Saks Fifth Avenue. Neblett also has 14 years’ experience teaching human resources and leadership courses at major universities, including NYU, Chapman University and Mount St. Mary’s University.
Neblett earned his BS from the Purdue University Daniels School of Business, an HR certificate from New York University, his MA in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and his doctorate from Argosy University in Los Angeles.
Iesha Valencia
Associate Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Iesha Valencia works across administrative divisions to deepen the college’s ongoing efforts to foster an environment of belonging for people who are historically underserved, and create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community for all faculty, staff and students. Fittingly, she began her role as CPTC’s Chief Diversity Officer on MLK Jr. Day in 2022.
Valencia brings 16 years of experience, both in higher education where she supported and served under-represented and non-traditional students, and as an independent consultant helping leaders create an inclusive work culture. Most recently, she worked at Highline College as Associate Dean for Student Life.
Valencia is finishing up her Ph.D. in the Higher Education Leadership program at Colorado State University. She received her M.Ed. in higher education and student affairs from the University of Vermont and a bachelor’s degree in child development from California State University, Chico.
