10/07/2020
Return to Evergreen honors Cheryl Strange ’88 with 2020 Joseph Dear Distinguished Alumni Award
Cheryl is the Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, Washington’s largest state agency encompassing a biennial budget of $14 billion, nearly 17,000 employees and 23,000 contracted service providers. Prior to becoming Secretary of DSHS, she served as chief executive officer of Western State Hospital since April 2016, one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in the country. Strange also has served as vice president of the Behavioral Health Division at a privately operated mental health service provider and as assistant secretary for Health Services and as deputy secretary at the state Department of Corrections. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The Evergreen State College and a master’s in public administration from Seattle University, a certification in management and leadership from the University of Washington School of Social Work, and a certificate in healthcare policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Cheryl’s contributions to public service will be honored as part of Return to Evergreen on Saturday, October 17. To attend the virtual event free of admissions register here: https://evergreen.edu/return/2020
Established in 2014, the Joseph Albert Dear Distinguished Alumni Award is named after Joe Dear, an accomplished 1977 Evergreen graduate and lifelong advocate of the college, who dedicated his life to public service. Each year we honor Joe’s contributions and other alumni like him who continue to go above and beyond in public service.
