Suzanne Walsh Selected as First Woman to Serve as President of the City University of Seattle

Suzanne Walsh has been named the fifth president of the City University of Seattle in Washington. She is university’s first woman to hold the position. Her presidency will begin on July 1.

Since August 2019, Walsh has served as president of Bennett College, a historically Black educational institute for women in Greensboro, North Carolina. She led the women’s college through a period of growth, significantly improving student retention and securing a new accreditation. Prior to assuming the Bennett College presidency, Walsh served as deputy director of postsecondary success for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Earlier, she held leadership roles with the Lumina Foundation for Education and The Heinz Endowments.

“I’ve been fortunate to call Seattle and the Puget Sound region home for many years, and the opportunity to give back to this vibrant community by leading CityU is truly meaningful,” said President Walsh. “What drew me to CityU is its student-centered mission of empowering students from all backgrounds—whether it’s adult learners balancing education with career and family, international students earning a U.S. degree, or professionals upskilling for the next phase of their career. At CityU, we will build on our strong foundation of student-centered success to foster career and economic mobility and empower students to lead in their professions and communities.”

President Walsh is a graduate of Cornell University, where she majored in social work. She holds a master’s degree in social work and a juris doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.