Steering Council

Sierra K16 Executive Steering Committee Team Member 

Dr. Lena Tran is the President of Columbia College in California. Columbia College offers students of diverse backgrounds a rich array of educational opportunities for personal discovery and to advance their career success. A primary goal of the college is to inspire its students to become inquisitive, creative, thoughtful life-long learners. 

Dr. Tran formerly served as Dean of Business and Workforce Development and Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Workforce Innovation at Evergreen Community College District in San Jose, California. During her tenure at Evergreen, she secured partnerships with Google, Microsoft, Apple, MIT, and UC Berkeley to develop innovative, highly successful educational transfer and workforce pathways in Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Coding, and Healthcare 

Previously, Dr. Tran served as Director of Business and Management, Education, and Life Sciences at the University of California Extension, Santa Cruz; she was also an adjunct professor in the Department of Sociology and Ethnic Studies.   

Lena’s professional background includes management positions with global technology firms in New York City and start-up enterprises in Silicon Valley. Her prior experience in higher education includes managerial and directorial positions in student affairs, admissions, outreach, and residence life. She has lectured on Intercultural Leadership and Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Ethnic Marketing, and the Vietnamese and Asian American Experience. 

Dr. Tran earned a Masters in Business Administration from Seton Hall University in New Jersey and a Doctorate in Education from the University of San Francisco. She is the recipient of an Aspen Rising President Fellowship, a Stanford University Educational Leadership Initiative award, California Forward Awards, and a John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award, and was an Honoree of the Fulbright Scholar College Administrators Seminar to Russia. She was named among the 100 Women of Influence in Silicon Valley, and Silicon Valley Business Journal named Lena to its list of “40 Under 40” rising stars in Silicon Valley.

Dr. Tran has served on the boards of directors of East Meets West Foundation and Silicon Valley FACES. Dr. Tran is the author of Compassionate Vietnamese American CEOs: How six entrepreneurs achieved bottom-line success by leading with their hearts.