Dr. Joi Lin Blake has over thirty years of experience working with diverse organizations and hundreds of professional teams in California.  Due to her extensive experience as a leader in higher education, she has trained, mentored and guided many of the top professionals in the California Community College System, the largest higher education system in the world.  Dr. Blake served as President of Palomar Community College District, the sixth largest single college district in California.  She also served as President of the College of Alameda, the only island community college in California. Additionally, Dr. Blake served as adjunct faculty, tenured faculty, Academic Senate President, Dean of Instruction, Dean of Student Development and Vice President of Student Services.

In the Office of the Under Secretary, United States Department of Education, during the Obama Administration, Dr. Blake served on the team that crafted the national strategic plan for community colleges and developed a national perspective on the intersection of all segments of education with business and industry.  She is recognized as a progressive change agent who has a reputation for taking a holistic approach to implementing organizational change and advancement, while building strong partnerships with business and industry. While CEO of Palomar Community College District, Dr. Blake served as President of the San Diego Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association (SDICCCA).  She is recognized as Faculty Emeritus at Southwestern Community College District and, a participant of the University of California, Davis, Presidential Fellows Program. Dr. Blake holds a Ed.D. in Education Leadership with an emphasis on Postsecondary Education, M.S.in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling and a B.A. in Health Science with a minor in Spanish.