Testimonials
To quote a friend, “strategic planning starts with strategic thinking.” Kate is an exceptional strategic thinker. She has a unique ability to keep you grounded in your “why” while guiding you to completion. I enjoyed working with and learning from Kate—under her leadership and guidance the college built an actionable and sustainable Guided Pathways plan that centered equity and community. Kate’s integrity and commitment make her an ideal partner and consultant.
– Yoshiko Harden
President, Renton Technical College
“Kate has a magical quality of being highly organized and strategic in her thinking while at the same time prioritizing relationships and trust building. She knows how to adapt processes and timelines to gain genuine engagement and catalyze real transformation. I have worked with Kate on several initiatives over the years and the depth and reach of her collaborative work is striking. She understands the theories and frameworks related to strategy, organizational change, equity, anti-racism and youth empowerment – but she is also equally skilled at facilitation and project management to put those concepts into practice and bring people along who may have very different views.
She is a collaborative and reflective leader and brings a lot of positive energy and clarity to the groups she works with. I always look forward to collaborating with Kate!”
– Jennifer Arnold
Founder, Reciprocity Consulting LLC
I had the pleasure of working with Kate when I asked her to facilitate a team building and strategy session with deans and directors across our three distinct colleges and our district office. She was instrumental in the planning and preparation stages to help to distill down the intended outcomes of the retreat, with a great balance of community building, connection, and forward visioning. She was a skilled facilitator for the session in setting a safe and engaging space, making in the moment adjustments to lean into the energy and flow, and leading us to reach clear next steps to build upon. Thank you!
– Veronica Wade
Executive Dean of Workforce Education, Seattle Colleges District
“Working with Kate is a real privilege! She has a genuine, open quality that attracts others. Kate and I have worked together on several large projects funded by the Washington State legislature and a federal Department of Education grant to close equity gaps and improve the community college experience for students.
She is a strategic thought partner who is engaging, relational and collaborative. She facilitates action-based conversations and puts equity and students at the heart of all she does, providing a strong understanding of anti-racist theories and frameworks to help guide her work. She is adept at engaging a wide range of stakeholders, bringing together ideas into a seamless plan and following projects through to completion. She is a true leader who is skillful in change management, positivity, and transparency. I hope to have the joy of working with her on future projects!”
– Julie Randall
Director of Title III Strengthening Institutions, Seattle Central College
“Kate Krieg is one of the most intelligent people that I know. She has the exceptional ability to think proactively, anticipate outcomes, and mitigate potential problem situations. In addition to Kate’s strategic and operational instincts, she has the people skills to match.
Kate and I worked together when she led our college’s organization-wide effort to adopt Guided Pathways, and she succeeded by gaining respect quickly, developing a spirit of teamwork and cooperation, and working effectively with employees at all levels of the organization. When Covid-19 hit and people were really struggling, Kate adapted and inspired teams by authentically caring about their well-being.
When people work with Kate, it’s clear that she has the expertise in the room to maintain perspective between the overall big picture and details, and to contribute what’s needed to make the projects and people around her successful and effective. ”
– Bruce Riveland
Vice President of Administrative Services, Lake Washington Institute of Technology
“Hiring Kate was one of the smartest moves that my college ever made.
She is one of the most effective, most committed, most ethical, most flexible, most talented people that I have ever worked with. She is hands-down the best at integrating and synthesizing varied ideas, views and people. And she’s just a plain good person to boot.
I know that I felt better about being in a room, both physical and virtual, when Kate was in it.
She is an amazing person who makes an impact wherever she is. When her work with us ended, I thought even the walls would weep. ”
– Jacqueline George
Tenured Basic and Transitional Studies Faculty, Seattle Central College
Kate was Associate Dean when I was Interim Dean of a large academic division of over 120 employees. It was easy to work with Kate because of her competence, reliability and collaborative spirit. I especially appreciated her honest assessment of issues and her equity-minded thinking when it came to solutions.
In my years of knowing and working with Kate, I’ve seen firsthand her ability to think strategically and manage a diverse portfolio of projects all with laser sharp attention to detail. She is highly organized, ethical in her actions and decision making, and effectively collaborates with diverse working groups. She doesn’t fear change but embraces it and knows how to lead and manage it, especially with an eye towards how stakeholders would best benefit.
Our Guided Pathways initiative has been built from scratch by Kate and its continued success is a testament to her leadership. Any organization would benefit greatly from her knowledge and expertise.
– Kayleen Oka
Tenured Sociology Faculty, Seattle Central College