Please welcome Lisa Perry who has joined us as our new Dean of Enrollment Management here at RCC on September 23!
Lisa brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education, with a career centered on enrollment management, student services, and helping students navigate the often-complicated path through college. She most recently served as Director of the Students First Center at UC Merced, where she led the university’s enrollment management one-stop and partnered across admissions, financial aid, registration, and other areas to improve the student experience and remove barriers to success.
Throughout her career, Lisa has been passionate about increasing access to higher education and creating a culture of care for students. Her research and publications have explored the connection between student support and enrollment, as well as what it means to become a truly student-ready institution. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in a simple idea: colleges should be ready for their students, rather than expecting students to already know how to navigate college. She believes collaboration, good data, a willingness to try something new, and, most importantly, listening to students can make a tremendous difference in their success.
Coming to RCC is also a homecoming for Lisa. She grew up in Crescent City and, while she spent most of her adult life in Central California, her family roots are firmly planted in Northern California and Southern Oregon. Her family were pear farmers in Talent, Oregon, and her uncle, Lynne Newbry, served in the Oregon Legislature. Lisa is thrilled to be back in a place that has always felt like home and especially excited to have the opportunity to give back to the communities that helped shape her.
Outside of work, family comes first for Lisa. She loves spending time with the people she loves, relaxing at Lake of the Woods, swimming, and rediscovering all the things she has missed about this beautiful part of the world. She also recently earned a pretty special new title: Great Aunt, for the second time! She’s fairly certain that one didn’t require an interview process.
Please join us in welcoming Lisa to RCC, to her new professional adventure, and back home to Southern Oregon!
Lisa Perry | she/her | 541-956-7272 | TRC A202