Yuba College in Marysville, California, will welcome Karissa Marino Morehouse as its Interim President, effective July 1, 2026. The Yuba Community College District Board of Trustees approved Morehouse's appointment at its June 2026 meeting. Morehouse currently serves as Yuba College’s Vice President of Student Services.
Morehouse brings two decades of leadership experience in higher education to her new role, including prior positions as a Vice President of Instruction and Assistant Superintendent. For the past two years, she has overseen crucial student support services at Yuba College, such as enrollment, financial aid, counseling, TRiO programs, veteran services, and community outreach. Her experience includes developing accelerated educational pathways for student veterans in previous leadership capacities, a skill she plans to utilize to strengthen services and expand educational opportunities at Yuba College’s Veteran Resource Center.
Beyond her extensive background in education, Morehouse is actively involved in the wider Yuba-Sutter community. She serves on the Harmony Health Board of Directors and collaborates with local agencies, including the Sutter and Yuba County public health departments, to improve access to high-quality medical services across the region. A resident of rural Northern California for more than 20 years, Morehouse’s personal experience as a community college student has shaped her mission to engage deeply with her community. She emphasizes the vital connection between Yuba College, its student body, and the various communities it serves throughout the Yuba-Sutter area.
Morehouse reflected on her own journey, stating that it was at a community college where she “realized that I belonged as a college student.” She credits the support from faculty and classified professionals at community colleges for helping her succeed and gain confidence to pursue higher degrees at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and Chico State. She expressed gratitude for the community college system and the opportunity to continue supporting students.
As interim president, Morehouse will prioritize supporting the implementation of Yuba College’s Educational Master Plan. This plan focuses on enhancing student persistence, retention, and completion, aiming to help students remain enrolled and successfully earn their degrees or certificates. She highlighted that actively listening to the campus and surrounding community will be crucial in guiding this work, emphasizing that such engagement is essential to ensure Yuba College remains forward-looking. The YCCD Board of Trustees noted Morehouse’s familiarity with Yuba College and her leadership experience across the California community college system as key factors positioning her to provide stability during this interim period.
