This content was published: May 24, 2023. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC’s Board of Directors honor faculty and staff for their work and service
Photos and story by James Hill
Michael Northover with President Bennings.
At a recent Portland Community College Board of Directors meeting, President Dr. Adrien Bennings honored PCC’s Chief Information Officer Michael Northover for being selected as Portland Business Journal CIO of the Year.
Northover was honored for his effort steering PCC’s Information Technology Department (IT). He was recognized, in part, for restructuring the IT department to better align it with the college’s strategic mission and goals and to more effectively and efficiently serve students, faculty, and staff.
You can read about his background and his work at PCC.
From left, ‘Ari’ Aristides Petrides-Jimenez, Board Chair Tiffani Penson, Cynthia Killingsworth, Jessica Bernards and President Bennings.
Honoring NISOD Awardees
At the May 18 public board meeting, the Portland Community College Board of Directors honored the five staff and faculty who are recipients of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards – Jessica Bernards (math Instructor); Melissa Duke (life sciences instructional support tech); Heather Griffo (business/ entrepreneurship instructor); Cynthia Killingsworth (business/entrepreneurship instructor); and “Ari” Aristides Petrides-Jimenez (math instructor).
Dr. Bennings with Josephine Pino and Chair Penson. On screen were faculty Ken Friedrich, Kristopher Chew and James Sauls.
Faculty Appreciation
Dr. Bennings’ 1TT1 Spotlights, which recognize staff, faculty and students for their work at the college, recently centered on Faculty Appreciation Week. At the May 18 board meeting, Tthe president recognized faculty James Sauls (Math – Southeast Campus); Josephine Pino (Biology – Rock Creek); Kenneth Friederich (Chemistry – Rock Creek); Kristopher Chew (Alcohol & Drug Counseling – Cascade); and Sally Guyer (History – Sylvania).
The Board also honored the 31 years of achievement of retiring employee Russell Dunnington, diesel service instructor. Dunnington helped to establish the Caterpillar ThinkBIG program in 2005 and created “Diesel Day,” which attracts 500-600 high schoolers every year. It also features dozens of local and regional companies who showcase the newest industry equipment.
Dr. Bennings honors the college’s food services staff as part of Classified Employee Appreciation Week.
Classified Staff Recognition
March 6-10 was Classified Employee Appreciation Week. The Board encouraged all members of the community to observe and recognize the dedication and hard work of these individuals. The week featured plenty of employee highlights, lunches, daily drawings, president visits to campuses, and more. Dr. Bennings in particular acknowledged the food services team, college schedulers, custodians, public safety and shuttle drivers for their dedicated service.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »