Rio Salado College is pleased to announce that Michelle Gates is the new vice president of administrative services.

Gates brings to Rio Salado a deep leadership experience in higher education and a proven track record of strategic leadership in financial management, operations and organizational development.

“My goal is to collaborate with the leadership and my teams to support Rio Salado College’s strategic vision, mission and goals,” Gates said. “I am a strong advocate for access to education and Rio Salado lives this model through its passion and commitment.”

Before joining Rio Salado in June 2020, Gates served as the University of Arizona’s associate vice president for finance with the Office of Strategic Initiatives, and as the chief financial officer and vice president for business affairs at Columbia College Chicago.

She has also held positions as senior associate vice president for financial affairs with Emerson College in Boston, director of budget and planning with New York University in the United Arab Emirates, director of university budget operations with Northern Arizona University and director of finance for the city of Roseburg, Oregon.

Throughout her career, Gates has been recognized for leading organizational transformation in national and international environments delivered through team building, leadership development, cultural integration, change management and business process improvement.

Gates holds a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Portland State University.