New Dean of Student Services/Student Affairs & Athletics Brings Cabinet-Level Leadership and a Vision for Student Success to Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey Peninsula College welcomes Karen Lee Yoder as its new Dean of Student Services/Student Affairs & Athletics, bringing more than three decades of experience spanning academic administration, kinesiology, and athletic program leadership across community college and university systems.
With a Master of Science in Kinesiology and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from California State University, East Bay, as well as a Teaching Credential in Physical Education and an Adaptive Physical Education Authorization from Point Loma Nazarene University, Yoder has built an accomplished career that includes cabinet-level athletics and academic leadership, executive governance of a multi-institutional athletic conference, and decades of teaching and mentoring student-athletes.
Most recently, Yoder served as Athletic Director at Solano College, where she provided executive oversight for intercollegiate athletics and contributed to institutional planning, student services alignment, and academic support initiatives. At California State University Maritime Academy, Yoder served as Director of Athletics & Physical Education and a member of the President’s Cabinet. She managed a $2.5 million budget supporting academic and student programs and partnered with Advancement to secure $1.5 million in funding for student success initiatives and facilities.
Yoder currently serves as Commissioner of the Western State Conference (3C2A Affiliate), providing executive leadership and governance oversight for a multi-institutional athletic conference and ensuring compliance, policy alignment, and student-centered practices across member colleges.
A consistent thread across Dean Yoder’s professional roles is her commitment to advancing student achievement, faculty excellence, and institutional effectiveness through innovative curriculum development, collaborative governance, and equity-driven leadership.
“Having devoted my professional journey to student-athletes and efforts to promote high standards of scholarship and sportsmanship, I look forward to helping students develop and thrive both on the field and in the classroom,” said Dean Yoder. “I chose MPC because of its deep commitment to student success and equity, and I’m honored to be part of an organization that places students front and center in all its decisions, empowering them to achieve their absolute best.”
As she begins her new role, Yoder looks forward to strengthening academic and athletic partnerships, advancing student-athlete success and equity initiatives, and building on Monterey Peninsula College’s transformative leadership and tradition of excellence across all aspects of student life.