Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Winds of change sweeping through PCC Foundation

Photos and story by James Hill

Mike Drake, executive director of the PCC Foundation, is leaving the college after nearly four years at PCC. Under his leadership, Foundation fundraising and programs have grown. Annual giving to the Foundation has increased from $540,000 to more than $1 million. Staff and faculty participation in the Foundation’s annual campaign has increased from 204 employees to 661. The Foundation has also identified more than 30,000 alumni and has begun to increase their connection to the college.

PCC will be conducting a national search to hire a new director and are working with an external search firm to help recruit candidates for the position. As the college moves through the process, members of the PCC community will have the opportunity to meet the finalists and provide feedback on the final candidates. The search process is just beginning, so if you have input on the characteristics you would like to see in a new director, please forward that information to Kristin Watkins, director of Institutional Advancement, at kwatkins@pcc.edu.

In the meantime, Liz Field will serve as the Interim Executive Director for the Foundation. She will serve in that capacity until a permanent director is hired, hopefully in late spring. Field has more than 20 years experience in leadership and strategic planning with non-profits and donor agencies. She has led both donor grant-making and guided non-profit fund development and has worked with agencies ranging from Trillium Artisans (a small SE Portland non-profit) to Nike Foundation to Mercy Corps to the World Bank.

Fasulo named general studies advisor at Rock Creek

James Fasulo is the new general studies advisor at the Rock Creek Campus. Fasulo has worked as a casual advisor at Rock Creek, Cascade and Southeast Center since June of 2005. He has also worked as an English tutor at the Sylvania Campus since 1999. Congratulations to James!

Kuba joins Cooperative Education office

The Student Employment and Cooperative Education Office has hired Kathleen Kuba as the new Co-op Ed/Student Employment Specialist. Kuba has prior experience with PCC working as the education coordinator in Workforce Development at the Extended Learning Campus.

Thielen moves from Cascade to Sylvania

Wendy Thielen is the new administrative assistant to the Dean of Instruction’s Office at the Sylvania Campus. Thielen transfers from the Cascade Campus, where she’s worked as both an instruction support lab technician and as an administrative assistant the past 10 years. She brings not only experience but also exceptional people and organizational skills to her new position. Kudos to Wendy!