Rolita Flores Ezeonu

Rolita Flores Ezeonu

Green River College

Auburn, WA
United States

2022-2023
Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow

Dr. Rolita Flores Ezeonu has over twenty years of experience in the Washington community and technical college system. Currently, Ezeonu is the vice president of instruction at Green River College. Previously, she served as the interim vice president of instruction and dean of instruction for transfer and pre-college education at Highline College from 2008 to 2018. Prior to her administrative leadership roles, Dr. Ezeonu served as both an adjunct and tenured faculty member in communication studies from 1998 to 2008.

Ezeonu’s work centers on equity and inclusion. She is committed to strengthening student retention, transitions, completion for student success and retention of BIPOC faculty. Her commitment to community colleges is also apparent throughout her own lived experiences. Her lived experiences provide her with perspectives much like the students in South King County. She is of Filipino heritage, identifies as an Asian Pacific Islander, and is the daughter of immigrant parents. In all her roles, from faculty, dean, and vice president, she has been part of building programming, creating culturally responsive curriculum and instruction, and maintaining partnerships with a social justice focus while working on eliminating systemic inequities and removing barriers for students. Her commitment to serving and supporting the changing and dynamic communities is steadfast, central to who she is.

Ezeonu earned her doctorate in educational leadership with an emphasis in the community college from Seattle University, a master’s degree in communication from Washington State University, and a bachelor’s degree in communication/public relations from Washington State University. She also holds a certificate in “Closing the Achievement Gap” from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She co-authored “Providing Equitable Education as a Daily Call to Action.”

She is married with two adult children and an English Labrador.