Dr. Lisa Sugimoto joined PPL as an Associate in 2012 and previously served on numerous searches for CEOs and executive managers. In 2013, she was appointed by the Board of PPL as a Senior Associate. The Board approved Dr. Sugimoto as a co-owner and Vice President of PPL in July of 2017
In 2003, Dr. Sugimoto accepted the position as Vice President of Student and Learning Services at Pasadena City College, the college where she began her community college career in 1976. In the fall of 2009, she was appointed to serve as PCC’s Superintendent-President in an interim position.
Following her interim role as Superintendent-President, she served PCC as Vice President of College Advancement during the final year of the Osher Scholarship Match Initiative. PCC’s Foundation contributed the largest amount ($1,791,176 – 183% of the fundraising target) of any California community college to ensure student scholarships in perpetuity.
For her work as Superintendent-President, in 2010, Dr. Sugimoto received the Community Award by the Pasadena NAACP and the Apple Award by the Altadena NAACP. Her dissertation on how community college governing boards select their CEOs earned her the Association of California Community College Administrator’s (ACCCA) distinguished Mertes Award for Excellence in Community College Research in February of 2001 and the UCLA Educational Leadership Achievement Award in May of 2006.
Dr. Sugimoto taught in the Business Department at PCC; in the Rossier School of Education at USC; and in the Educational Leadership Program at UCLA. She is currently an Alumni Fellow and Lecturer, working with doctoral students in the Educational Leadership Program at UCLA. Dr. Sugimoto has participated in numerous searches for new CEO’s and has placed interim and consultants as well as doing searches for second level executive managers. She has provided consulting in Foundation management and student services since her retirement.