Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC hires Hinerman to lead business services

Photos and story by James Hill

PORTLAND, Ore. – For Cher Hinerman, this is her dream job. Portland Community College tapped Hinerman to become the college’s first director of its Center for Business and Industry. Hinerman, who lives in southwest Portland, retired last December as the knowledge and learning strategist for Intel Corporation. She joined Intel in 1983 and has worked as a program manager in fabrication engineering and corporate training, education, staffing and in workforce development. She has held board and chair positions at the state and national levels for industry and education partnership organizations. "If I had ‘dreamed up’ an ideal job for my passion, education and experience, it would be the CBI director to start up this critical initiative for PCC," Hinerman said. "I have been a strategic partner with PCC for more than 15 years. I know the school well for its strengths and award-winning programs. I also know the problems we face and I am ready, willing and able to help resolve them." Hinerman earned a master’s degree from Oregon State University in adult education training and development, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Akron in Ohio. She specialized as a change agent in strategic workforce development, curriculum analysis and design, and training and development. In her spare time, she is also a volunteer supervisor and trainer on the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol. Hinerman, who has won numerous awards for her work while at Intel, was named to Gov. Kitzhaber’s Workforce Investment Board in 2001. In addition, between 1990 and 2003 she was three times the chair of the Oregon and southwest Washington Semiconductor Workforce Consortium, which received Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts’ 1993 Award for Innovative Workforce Development Partnerships.