Pamela Bates

Pamela Bates serves as Shorelight's Chief Operating Officer, where she leads strategic operations and drives organizational excellence across the company's global portfolio of university partnerships. A veteran in international education, Pamela brings over two decades of expertise in scaling high-impact educational programs. As Senior Managing Director at Kaplan International, she pioneered the first university pathway program in the United States and led the expansion of their English language schools nationwide. She later advanced to oversee all U.S. operations for EC, further strengthening her track record in operational leadership and program innovation. Pamela's commitment to international education began at the U.S. Department of State, where she served in the Office of Global Women's Issues. This early exposure to global affairs helped shape her vision for expanding access to U.S. higher education for international students. A graduate of Wheaton College with a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Political Science, Pamela remains actively engaged with her alma mater while championing educational opportunities for students.