Karissa Marino Morehouse has been approved as Yuba College’s Interim President, following a vote by the Yuba Community College District Board of Trustees at its June 2026 meeting in Marysville, California. Morehouse is set to begin her new role on July 1, 2026.
Morehouse currently serves as Yuba College’s Vice President of Student Services. She brings two decades of experience in higher education leadership to her new position, which includes previous roles as a Vice President of Instruction and Assistant Superintendent.
For the past two years, as Vice President of Student Services, Morehouse has overseen critical student support services at Yuba College. These services include enrollment, financial aid, counseling, TRiO programs, veteran services, and community outreach efforts.
In prior leadership capacities, Morehouse developed accelerated educational pathways specifically for student veterans. This work aimed to create more accessible routes for veterans to continue their education and achieve their academic goals. She plans to apply this experience to Yuba College’s Veteran Resource Center, with the goal of strengthening services, expanding educational opportunities, and providing comprehensive support for veterans throughout their college journeys.
Morehouse’s community involvement extends beyond her roles in higher education. She serves on the Harmony Health Board of Directors and works closely with local agencies, including the Sutter and Yuba County public health departments. This collaboration aims to support access to high-quality medical services across the region.
A resident of rural Northern California for more than 20 years and a former community college student herself, Morehouse stated that her mission involves being deeply engaged in her community. She emphasized her understanding of the important connection between Yuba College, its students, and the communities it serves throughout the Yuba-Sutter area.
Morehouse shared her personal experience, noting that community college was where she realized her place as a college student, discovered her major, and received support from faculty and classified professionals that contributed to her success. This experience, she said, gave her the confidence to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree from Chico State. She expressed gratitude for the community college system and for the opportunity to continue supporting students within it.
As interim president, Morehouse will support the implementation of Yuba College’s Educational Master Plan. This plan focuses on enhancing student persistence, retention, and completion, with the aim of assisting students in remaining enrolled and successfully completing their degrees or certificates. She underscored that listening to both the campus and the surrounding community will be key to guiding this work, stating, “Listening to our campus and community is essential” for Yuba College to remain an institution of the future.
The Yuba Community College District Board of Trustees noted that Morehouse’s familiarity with Yuba College, combined with her extensive leadership experience across the California community college system, positions her to provide stability and strong leadership during this interim period.
