Whitman College VP appointed to Washington pardons board
(The Center Square) — Malawian immigrant and Whitman College vice president Kazi Joshua has been appointed to the Washington Clemency and Pardons Board.
“I am grateful to the Governor’s office and I feel humbled by the responsibility to serve on the board and the people of Washington State,” Joshua said in a statement. “It is my hope that I can serve with integrity, compassion and fairness, and that I play some small role in the work of community restoration.”
The board reviews petitions for commutation of sentences and pardoning of convicts, and makes recommendations to the governor.
Appointments to the five-member board are made by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. Joshua’s appointment was announced by Inslee in August and confirmed earlier this month. His term expires in September 2023.
Joshua has worked with Fabian’s Fund, an organization that supports the education of inmates. Joshua was also a sponsor of the Black Prisoners Caucus, an organization that supports Black incarcerated persons and their families.
“The work that Whitman College does at Washington State Penitentiary in its educational projects was the main point of entry into this work,” Joshua said.
Whitman College President Sarah Bolton congratulated Joshua in a statement saying, “I am confident that Kazi will play a very important role in ensuring just and wise decisions for the board and for the individuals whose futures will be under consideration. His appointment is a credit to his work with and on behalf of people who are incarcerated to promote their successful re-entry into society.”
Joshua immigrated to the United States from Malawi in 1987. He is a graduate of Trinity College in Vermont and has lived in Washington since 2015. Before his 2019 appointment as dean and vice president of student affairs, Joshua was vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at the college.
Simultaneously appointed to the board was former Seattle Seahawk and Super Bowl champion Doug Baldwin Jr.
