Highline College’s President Dr. John R. Mosby served Highline for roughly seven years before passing away in May of 2026. On Oct. 14, 2026 a moving dedication ceremony was held in his honor on the Highline campus.

Decorated by the Executive Assistant Office of the President Juli Hammond, the Mt. Townsend Dining Hall in Building 8 was decked out in floral displays and a touching tribute written by Dr. Mosby’s family.

Before the ceremony began, attendees were treated to catering by Jumpin Jambalaya which many noted as both beautifully presented and tasty. While they enjoyed the food and socializing, DJ Eddie kept the atmosphere upbeat without bringing down the roof.

Led by Jesse Johnson, a member of the Highline Board of Trustees and former Washington State representative, and Jamilyn Penn, the Interim President of Highline, much of the ceremony was allotted to those who knew Dr. Mosby to tell anecdotes and to truly honor his legacy.

One of the overarching sentiments shared during the open mic section was how Dr. Mosby made every single person he worked with feel not only safe and respected, but known. A recently retired Admissions Advisor from Highline shared, “When I first met John I said, ‘My name is Gum-Lai Ross but I don’t lie.’ So every time he’d introduce me to someone after that day he’d say ‘she don’t lie.’”

In his relatively short time at Highline, Dr. Mosby made sure to uplift those around him. Sociology Professor Darryl Brice told the room a story about a time he won what he equated to a “lifetime achievement award for educators.. With zero heads up, Dr. Mosby sent out a campus wide email celebrating this achievement, going above and beyond to show respect for his people.

While Dr. Mosby meant a lot to the Highline community, he also meant a lot to the people of Washington State. When he was hired in July of 2018, he was one of only three Black college presidents in Washington State. He never took that responsibility lightly and dedicated much of his time at Highline to ensuring a safe, diverse, and equitable culture.

Because of the legacy he leaves behind, Dr Maribel Jiménez, Vice President of Equity, Diversity, and, Transformation, had the honor of formally dedicating the Center of Equity, Diversity, and Transformation to Dr. Mosby.

Attendees of the event made their way from Building 8 to Building 25 along a luminary pathway, lit with handmade lanterns made from paper bags for the final part of the ceremony, led by Dr. Jiménez. Thankfully it was warm and sunny for this outdoor portion despite reports of rain being expected. As Johnson noted towards the beginning of the event, “Wherever John’s spirit is, the sun follows.”

Some faculty from the Equity, Diversity, and, Transformation team had the honor of cutting a big green ribbon in front of Building 25 to close out the ceremony.

For those interested in visiting it, the Dr. John R. Mosby Center of Equity, Diversity, and Transformation is located on floor five of Building 25.

The late Dr. John R. Mosby, “class personified” as Johnson would put it, is survived by his mother, Brenda Robinson, his father, John D. Mosby, his sister, Krista Mosby, and his nephew, Kristopher Mosby, whom he loved and treated as his own son, and his brother, Byron Barnes.