Dr. Jacqueline Hester has been hired by San Diego Miramar College as the new dean of Public Safety. She begins her tenure May 1. Dean Hester will have oversight of the Administration of Justice, Fire Protection Technology, Emergency Medical Technician, and Lifeguard programs. She will also manage the College's agency partnerships with the City and County of San Diego.
Dr. Hester recently served as the instructional dean of the Emeritus and Child Development programs at San Diego College of Continuing Education. She also joins Miramar College with additional years of administrative service in higher education as dean of Community Education Programs at Kennedy-King College (KKC), City of Colleges of Chicago. During her time at Kennedy-King College, Dr. Hester co-led the new information technology expansion, Tech Launchpad, which created a series of new academic programs to respond to the growing technology needs and opportunities for Kennedy-King College students. As a result, the community education programs were transformed into a 21st-century robust platform, which created highly-rated technology learning platforms and course offerings.
Dr. Hester's background and experience fit nicely with the Miramar 2.0 initiative since she has demonstrated that she can turn vision into reality through her transformative leadership.
"She intuitively creates community and is committed to collaboration between instruction, student services, and instructional support for student success," said Dr. Michael Odu, vice president of Instruction at Miramar College. "Dr. Hester passionately believes in the power of education to transform lives and shape new visions for leading and learning. This foundation is what motivates her. Students are at the center of why she serves."
Hester has built a strong reputation in leading and developing teams, achieving results through coaching and strategic planning, and driving cultural change for sustainability.
In addition to her higher education background, she served in the United States Army Reserve. She has also held positions in student services areas such as advising, admissions, and enrollment services. She is astute with budget and financial controls and creating strong teams.
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