Dr. Lin Zhou is the president of Bates Technical College. Since her hire at Bates as the dean of continuing education, apprenticeship and child studies in 2013, Dr. Zhou served as dean of instruction and executive dean before becoming the vice president of institutional effectiveness and student success in 2016. Previously, she held the positions of associate dean of extended learning, and director of branch campus and continuing education at Lake Washington Institute of Technology between 2001 and 2012. 

Dr. Zhou serves on several national and state boards, including American Technical Education Association, National Asian Pacific Islander Council, WA State Adult Education Advisory Council, Commission on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion of American Association of Community Colleges, College Sparks Foundation, Workforce Central, and City Club of Tacoma. 

Dr. Zhou holds a Ph.D. in education, with an emphasis in community college leadership, from Oregon State University, a master's degree in business administration from City University in Seattle, an Associate Degree in computer science and networking technology from Lake Washington Institute of Technology, and an Associate Degree in accounting from Renmin University of China. In 2017, Dr. Zhou participated in the Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management, administered by the university's Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Zhou is the college's first female president, and the first female Chinese immigrant to serve as president at a public two-year college in Washington State.