If you asked Chris Witherspoon what a “trustee” was when he first stepped onto Western Washington University’s campus as a freshman three decades ago, he wouldn’t have been able to tell you. Last month, he became the university’s newest trustee.
At the beginning of the year, Western trustee Bruce Harrell stepped down when he became the mayor of Seattle, leaving an empty seat on the eight-member board.
Witherspoon applied for the opening, and Gov. Jay Inslee appointed him in March.
“I’m excited, extremely excited about it,” he said. “I feel privileged, honored and somewhat humbled to be chosen by the governor to do this.”
Witherspoon has deep, personal connections to the university. While a student in the College of Business and Economics, he met his wife, and now their daughter attends the university. From 2012 to 2021, he served on, and eventually led, the board for the Alumni Association before transitioning to the board of the Western Foundation.
After graduation, he launched into a successful career in marketing and advertising and now serves as CEO of DNA Seattle. DNA is a marketing company that works with companies like Amazon, Rainier, Taco Time, Alaskan Airlines, Western and other large corporations.
Chris Witherspoon is Western Washington University’s newest trustee. (Photo courtesy Chris Witherspoon)
On top of all that, he is a founding member of 600 & Rising, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Black employees in advertising. He also leads the board of directors for the BLAC Internship Program which provides young Black people with a paid internship with an independent ad agency.
His next move is helping Western make some of its biggest decisions for the next six years.
“Chris brings strategic, thoughtful, compassionate and service-oriented leadership to his work and interactions,” President Sabah Randhawa said in a letter to the community. “We look forward to his engagement in advancing Western’s priorities, as well as leveraging his brand-builder expertise on the board.”
Witherspoon’s first step, he said, will be listening to the needs of students and staff to understand their various needs and perspectives. He wants to learn as much as he can to shape his own perspective of the university and its issues.
Currently, Witherspoon sees Western, like many other higher-education institutions, grappling with issues regarding student success, access, cost and workforce development.
“I think we’re at kind of a critical juncture in higher education,” he said.
He wants to welcome new students, see them graduate and enter the workforce with a job that matches their skills and qualifications.
One important aspect to achieving that, he said, is expanding access to traditionally underrepresented communities and to promote inclusivity for all. He sees everyone having place and community as a critically important element to education.
Witherspoon believes his experience in advocacy, with Western and in the business world paired with his “well-rounded perspective” have prepared him for the position. As a lifelong learner, he is excited to learn more about the university and its people.
Witherspoon’s first Board of Trustees meetings will occur on April 21 at 3 p.m. and April 22 at 8 a.m.
