Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC Taps Tom Lowles to Helm Small Business Development Center and International Trade Program

Photos and story by James Hill

With a solid reputation as a sharp mind in local and international banking circles, Tom Lowles of Lake Oswego is now poised to make his mark as the new director of Portland Community College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Small Business International Trade Program (SBITP).

Lowles, who officially started in the position on July 26, comes to PCC after 30 years of experience with KeyBank and Wells Fargo Bank. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor of science degree in industrial management from Purdue University.

During his tenure with the two banking institutions, Lowles cultivated a variety of skills, including experience in international trade finance, marketing and business development, budget analysis, credit review, staffing and several other key small business-related issues.

"When you are evaluating the needs of a small business from a financial standpoint, you analyze their marketing, their business planeverything," Lowles said recently. "You are really evaluating the whole company. I think that will really help me in what I’ll be doing here."

PCC’s Ellen Long, the dean of instruction for Open Campus in the Business and Government Relations division at the college, didn’t have to look far for the replacement of former director Tom Niland, who retired from PCC in June. Lowles has taught classes on international finance within the SBITP and was a member for the last decade of the program’s advisory board. Like Niland, Lowles is a recipient of the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Business Lowles in 1998 and Niland in 1999.

"(Tom Lowles) will be an asset to the college and this particular program because of his strong background serving small businesses locally and in the international trade arena," said Long. "He’s also very well-networked in the greater Portland metropolitan area. We are very pleased to have him, and his wealth of experience will serve our constituency well."

Lowles said the last few weeks have been filled will meetings and getting up-to-speed on the two programs charged with helping arm business owners with the skills and know-how to maintain successful businesses in Oregon and elsewhere.

"Tom (Niland) told me on day one to bring my calendar because we would fill it up quickly," said Lowles, adding that he’s already booked through February 2000. "I won’t lack for things to do."

For Lowles, the job will consist of getting the word out to Oregon businesspeople that quality and convenient instruction is available to those seeking to be owners of efficiently run businesses. He will also research and implement, if necessary, new improvement programs into the SBDC and SBITP fold.

"It’s exciting," Lowles said. "I’m blessed to follow in the footsteps of a person (Niland) who built a heck of a reputation for the program, and for the great people I get to work with. The people on this staff are terrific."