South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) Trustee Doug Mah was honored with the Trustee Leadership Award, presented at the 2024-25 Washington State Association of College Trustees (ACT) Award ceremony on May 22, 2025.
The nonprofit Washington State ACT hosts conferences and provides opportunities for trustees to develop leadership and advocacy skills on behalf of students and colleges. The annual ACT awards recognize those who have made significant contributions to the advancement of community and technical colleges. Mah was one of six award recipients from the state’s 34 community and technical colleges.
“I'm thrilled to congratulate Doug Mah on receiving the Trustee Leadership Award from ACT — a well-earned recognition of his exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to SPSCC, and the community college system,” said SPSCC Trustee Rozanne Garman. “He's been a tireless advocate for our students, a trusted voice in legislative efforts, and generously volunteers his time to serve in leadership roles in ACT. Doug truly embodies what it means to lead with heart, purpose, and vision. It's an honor to serve alongside him and witness the impact of his service.”
Mah has been a long-standing member of the Board of Trustees at SPSCC, originally in March 2016. He is the owner of Doug Mah & Associates, LLC and serves on the boards of the Washington State Employees Credit Union and the Washington State Association of College Trustees. Mah is also a member of the Thurston Chamber of Commerce and the Gateway Rotary Club. Most notably, he served for 10 years on the Olympia City Council and was mayor of the city of Olympia from January 2008 through December 2011.
“Doug is certainly deserving of this recognition,” said SPSCC President Dr. Timothy Stokes. “Out of 170 trustees across the state, he was chosen because of his dedication to trustee issues at the local, state, and federal level. He is an outstanding trustee at SPSCC and cares deeply about the professional development of trustees at colleges across the country.”