Deborah Cornell Ranniger: PhD, 1988

Deborah Ranniger is the Renton Technical College Foundation Director. Deborah is also an elected official for the City of Kent, the current President of the Kent City Council.

Additionally she currently teaches public speaking, introduction to research, interpersonal, intercultural and small group communication at Renton Technical College and University of Phoenix. She was the Public Education Specialist for the Kent Police Department for three years, where she wrote grants, coordinated volunteers and forged community connections for the department. Prior to that Ranniger held the position of Executive Director of the Marketing Commission for Recyclable Materials at King County and Public Involvement Manager for the Surface Water Management Division at King County.

She has owned a family nursery-garden center business, and, in that role, began participation with the Kent Chamber of Commerce, eventually joining the Board of Directors and chairing the Chamber’s Education Committee for two years.

Ranniger was invited to Co-chair the Kent School District~Rs 2002 Capital Bond and Levy Campaign, for which she raised funds and awareness in advance of a successful public vote. She was also a member of the district’s Career/Technical Advisory Board and organized and chaired a grass-roots effort to re-open the Kent Swimming Pool.

Ranniger received her PhD in 1988 from the Department of Speech Communication in the area of small group process and organization communication. Ranniger has taught previously at Green River Community College and the University of Puget Sound. She was elected to the Kent City Council in 2004 and, in addition to being the President of the Council, she currently chairs the Parks & Human Services committee and serves on the Operations committee.