The Bates Technical College Board of Trustees has appointed Lyle Quasim as the interim president of the college. The board voted on the appointment at a Jan. 14 special meeting, and the contract was finalized with the state Attorney General’s office today. Quasim succeeds Acting President Vickie Lackman, the college’s vice president of human resources, who has served since the Oct. 22 departure of former college President David Borofsky as part of the college’s succession plan. Quasim will serve at the pleasure of the board for an undisclosed time period. Quasim served most recently as the chief of staff for Pierce County under former County Executive John Ladenburg. He has served as a board member for the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges since April 2004 and was a Bates Technical College Trustee from March 2001 until April 2004. He was the secretary of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services under Governors Mike Lowry and Gary Locke and served in various posts in that agency from 1973 until 1989 and from 1993 to 1995. He also served as the director of the Safe Street Campaign from 1989 to 1993, and is currently that organization’s board president. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from University of Puget Sound, a master’s degree in sociology from Pacific Lutheran University, and is a veteran of the US Air Force. Quasim is married and lives in Puyallup.