We are pleased to welcome Julie Huckestein into our club. The following is the warm introduction as read by her sponsor, Ron Hays.
Julie Huckestein was appointed President of Chemeketa Community College in Salem Oregon in February 2015 after serving as Interim President since July 2014.  Chemeketa Community College is the second largest community college in Oregon with two campuses and five community centers serving 36,000 students per year (12,500 FTE).  Julie has over 28 years of experience in community colleges and held the position of Vice President/Chief Financial Officer prior to her appointment. She joined Chemeketa in 2001.
Prior to Chemeketa, Julie worked at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon for 14 years in various roles including Director of Budget and Finance.  She is a proud community college graduate and earned an AS degree in Business Administration from Linn-Benton Community College, a BA degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from George Fox University and a Master’s degree in Education: Policy, Foundations and Administration from Portland State University; all while pursuing her community college career.  She is a native Oregonian and a first generation college graduate.  Prior to joining community colleges, Julie worked for seven years at an accounting firm that specialized in small business, non-profit and tax accounting.  She also spent two years working for a non-profit agency related to job training.
Julie is on the board of the National American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) and has been active in the local and state AAWCC organization for over 20 years.  She currently co-directs the Oregon Institute for Leadership Development.  She has presented at various conferences on the topics of budget and finance, computer software conversions and leadership and is a peer evaluator for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.  She attended the National Institute for Leadership Development in 2007 and the Oregon Institute for Leadership Development in 1993.
She and her husband Jim have three adult daughters, Rachel, Kelly and Erika and two small grandchildren Hannah 5 1/2 and Holden 2 1/2 and another one on the way.  Luckily they live within two miles of her home!!  In her spare time she enjoys being with her family and friends, reading, traveling and camping and is learning to kayak.