Western names Clifford Cook interim director of Public Safety

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to announce that Clifford Cook will be joining the University as the interim director of Public Safety, beginning on April 11. Cliff will serve in this role and provide leadership for the department, while the search is completed for a new Chief of University Police. 

As you may recall, our current Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police, Darin Rasmussen, has been promoted to the role of assistance vice president for Risk, Ethics, Safety, and Resilience (effective 4/11/2022). Darin is leading a previously separate set of functions, now combined. These include environmental and occupational health and safety, fire safety, emergency preparedness, business continuity, risk management, compliance, and ethics. 

Cliff joins us as a retired police executive, with over 42 years of experience. He is a former Chief of Police for the City of Bellingham and has served as a police officer, criminal investigator, and field supervisor. Cliff holds a master's degree in Public Administration and a bachelor's degree in Business Management. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Program, the Northwest Law Enforcement Command College, and the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas.  

Joyce Lopes

WWU Vice President of Business and Financial Affairs