Green River College President Suzanne Johnson stepped down from the position she has held for more than nine years on Tuesday, Feb. 3, according to a statement from the GRC Board of Trustees.

To ensure continuity and stability during the transition, the board appointed George Frasier, GRC’s Vice President of College Relations, as interim president, effective Feb. 4.

“This was a difficult decision made thoughtfully and with mutual respect, recognizing the many meaningful contributions President Johnson has made to the college, as well as the opportunities ahead,” the board noted.

According to the statement, the board voted to exercise the “separation for convenience provision” in Johnson’s contract. Although the board did not explain the reason for Johnson’s departure, the college has reportedly been struggling with serious budget problems and mismanagement for several years.

Faculty Union President Dave Norberg said Johnson’s departure is best for the college.

“Dr. Johnson is a good person, we share similar values, and I like her as a person,” Norberg said. “Regardless, the college has been suffering from ineffective leadership, and the faculty lost confidence in her ability to lead the college. We are suffering from the effects of a $14 million budget shortfall, the result of years of fiscal mismanagement, and numerous operational problems resulting from administrative neglect. It was time for a change, and I hope new leadership will help us make progress,” said Norberg.

During Johnson’s tenure, according to the board, GRC realized record enrollment, doubled the number of bachelor’s degrees it offers, opened the Auburn Center, was ranked an Aspen Institute Top 150 community college, received six commendations for completing the 2020 Year Seven Accreditation visit, hosted the sitting President of the United States, and led the college through the COVID-19 pandemic “with a steady hand while consistently demonstrating compassion, understanding, and care for our campus community.”

According to the statement, Interim President Frasier has served the college, its foundation, and Southeast King County for more than 18 years, amassing deep institutional knowledge and forging strong campus and community connections. He co-led the development of GRC’s Equity-Centered Strategic Plan, recently received the Auburn CONNECT Impact Award for outstanding contributions to the community and facilitates the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Institute.

Looking ahead, the statement continued, “the college remains focused on empowering student success … its mission to serve the educational needs of the community, and is committed to conducting a competitive and transparent national search for Green River’s next president.”

“We want to thank President Johnson for her more than nine years of dedicated leadership to Green River College,” according to the statement.

According to the board, students, faculty, staff, and community members will play a key role in the search process, and will be invited to participate throughout. Specific details, such as timelines and methodology, are in development and will be shared in the coming weeks.