A Statement from the Green River College Board of Trustees
Today (Feb. 2, 2026) the Green River College Board of Trustees voted to exercise the separation for convenience provision in President Suzanne Johnson's contract. Her last day at the College will be Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
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. We want to thank President Johnson for her more than nine years of dedicated leadership to Green River. During her tenure, GRC saw record enrollment; doubled the number of bachelor's degrees offered; opened the Auburn Center; was ranked an Aspen Institute Top 150 community college; completed the 2020 Year Seven Accreditation visit, receiving six commendations; hosted the sitting President of the United States; and led the College through the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a steady hand while consistently demonstrating compassion, understanding, and care for our campus community.
The Board is deeply grateful for President Johnson's commitment to serving our students and the Green River community, and wish her the very best moving forward.
To ensure continuity and stability during this transition, the Board is appointing George Frasier as Interim President, effective Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
Currently serving as GRC's Vice President of College Advancement, George brings deep institutional knowledge and strong campus and community connections built over 18 years of service to Green River College, the Foundation, and Southeast King County. He notably co-led the development of the College's Equity-Centered Strategic Plan; facilitates the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Institute; and recently received the Auburn CONNECT Impact Award for outstanding contributions to the community.
Looking ahead, the Board remains focused on empowering student success and to the College's mission to serve the educational needs of our community and is committed to conducting a competitive and transparent national search for Green River's next president. Students, faculty, staff, and community members will play a vital 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.