Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PHOTOS: Stars line up for Sen. Carter

Photos and story by James Hill

Portland Community College honored state Sen. Margaret Carter Oct. 9, by naming the Skill Center program in her honor at the Cascade Campus. Carter, a longtime Oregon lawmaker, served as a counselor and faculty member at PCC Cascade and helped create the Skill Center, which has helped thousands of residents of North and Northeast Portland make their way into the workforce.

U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, a longtime friend of Sen. Carter and the Skill Center, was on hand to tell stories of how hard Sen. Carter fought to keep funding to the Skill Center going in the state legislature. The program will now be called the Margaret Carter Skill Center. The Skill Center takes a hands-on approach to learning and applied skill training. Programs include classes in life-skill education, technology and computer literacy, employment exploration concepts and applied office techniques, communications and trades math.

Former Cascade Campus President Mildred Ollee (president of Seattle Central Community College) gives her old friend, Sen. Carter, a hug on stage during introductions.

Sen. Carter and Cascade President Algie Gatewood enjoy a saxophone serenade from a former Skill Center student. Gatewood said much of the success for the Skill Center is a direct result of Carter’s efforts, both as an academic and a lawmaker. “She has always been there for these students, for this faculty and staff, for the neighborhood, for Portland and for Oregonians,” he said.

The new sign is unveiled to the delight of Sen. Carter (right), PCC District President Preston Pulliams and PCC Board Chair Jim Harper (left). The sign will go display outside the Skill Center at the Cascade Campus. Carter serves District 22 in North Portland. She was first elected to the Oregon House in 1985 and moved to the Senate in 2001, winning re-election in 2005. She has played a pivotal role in the creation and long-term support of the Skill Center through her efforts on the House Education Committee, the Joint Trade and Economic Development Committee, the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, and in her leadership position in the Senate.