Barbara Clarkson
Throughout Clarkson’s 14 years as a member of the SPSCC Board of Trustees, she served as liaison to the SPSCC Foundation, committing her own time and resources to connect the Foundation to the community and create a network devoted to supporting student success. And through her work with the Thurston Group of Washington State, she championed access to higher education for African-American and underrepresented students, sending hundreds of youth from the Pacific Northwest to college with over $8 million in scholarships. Clarkson retired from the Board in 2019. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center was later renamed the A. Barbara Clarkson Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center in honor of Clarkson's tireless commitment to equity and access to education.