Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Management, University of Guam

Master of Public Administration, University of Guam

Doctor of Education Leadership, University of Phoenix

 

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Biography

Dr. Mary Ann Young Okada graduated from the University of Guam with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

Dr. Okada became the first female and longest serving president and CEO of the Guam Community College (GCC) in June 2007. Under her leadership, GCC has advanced its support to increase the capacity of the island’s skilled workforce through innovative programs such as work-ready boot camps, added and developed new programs including GCC’s first Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Education, and undergone campus modernization through new construction and the renovation of eight buildings. Prior to becoming president, Dr. Okada served as the College’s vice president of financial affairs, controller and accounting supervisor. Her fiscal guidance has resulted in more than two consecutive decades of clean audits for GCC, and the awarding of numerous grants and low-interest federal loans that have allowed for campus upgrades even in the face of severe fiscal challenges.

Dr. Okada served on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders under President Barack Obama from 2014-2016. She also serves on numerous local, regional and national workforce and postsecondary education organizations. She is a commissioner for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Chair of Pacific Postsecondary Education Council (PPEC), Chair of the Guam Education Board, Vice Chair for Pacific Resource for Education and Learning (PREL), member of the Guam Contractors Association Trades Academy Board, WestCare Foundation Board, Air University - Board of Visitors, Community College of the Air Force, Archdiocese of Agana Finance Council, St. Francis Catholic School Parent Alumni Organization, Asia Pacific Association for Fiduciary Studies (APAFS), and the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

It is through her service in these organizations that she aggressively advocates for the development and growth of career and technical education for Guam and Micronesia. She has led her team through an institution-supported transformational academy to seek ways to offer alternative solutions to support student success. The underlying foundation to all of these is found in the relationships that have been built over time and understanding how each component contributes to support our institutional mission with a primary focus on student success. As a result, the college adopted the slogan of “Students First, Mission Always.”

Dr. Okada won the U.S. Small Business Administration 2020 Women in Business Champion of the Year award and the Professor John M. Phillips Excellence in Government Accountability Award in 2013.

Bio information and photo provided by Dr. Mary A.Y. Okada.

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Campus visit schedule

Tuesday, April 25, 2023:

• 2:30 PM – Presentation to Administrators, RFK Library, AV1
• 3:00 PM – Presentation to Faculty, CLASS Lecture Hall
• 4:00 PM – Presentation to Students, Staff, and Alumni, CLASS Lecture Hall 

 

Community presentations