^partÌanù OOhserucr
www.portlandobserver.com
September 24, 2008
Page A ll
Electrician
First female
High Marks for
Starts Business
Union membership
leads to
subcontracting
CEO a t PGE
Peggy Fowler
honored fo r
comm un ity service
Engineering
WSU Vancouver
earns quality seal
See page A 13
See page A 16
See page A 22
Minority & Small Business Week
Summit
Looks at
Art as an
Economic
Engine
Experts to talk
business
opportunities
Hermann Colas o f Colas Construction, Inc. (second from right) works with HOST Development as he builds affordable homes and fulfills
dreams for first-time homeowners.
Building Homesand Dreams
Founder and
CEO committed
to community
Some construction and development com­
panies may look at a house and just see timber,
siding and concrete. When the people at Colas
Construction, Inc. and HOST Development
look at a house, they see the gateway to the
American dream for Portland’s working fami­
lies.
By working together, HOST, a nonprofit
o rg an iz atio n that pro v id es affo rd ab le
homeownership opportunities, and Colas Con­
struction, a Portland-based construction com­
pany, are creating quality housing and thriving
communities.
Established in 1997, Colas Construction be­
gan when founder and CEO Hermann Colas,
Jr., originating from Haiti, experienced some
difficulties building his own dream house.
“ I had such a horrible experience with my
contractor,” said Colas. “1 ended up firing him
and finishing the house myself. I decided no
one else should have to go through that expe­
rience.”
Colas, who worked in telecommunications
for 20 years, built his business on a commit­
ment to fine craftsmanship and service -
starting with the construction of two personal ly
financed houses in a subdivision in Portland.
“Since I didn't have any development expe­
rience I figured people wouldn’t want to fi­
nance me, because they didn’t know my capa­
bilities,” Colas said. “I decided to put my
money where my mouth was and finance the
first project myself.”
Since then. Colas Construction hasexpanded
significantly, adding Colas’ son and daughter
as the company’s president and CFO. The
company builds about 100 units per year with
multiple projects throughout the Portland met
continued
on page 4 15
The Center for the Arts Founda­
tion and the Gresham Area Cham­
ber of Commerce are bringing a
renowned panel of experts together
to discuss arts as an economic en­
gine.
The “Arts
are Good for
B u s in e s s ”
sum m it is
open to the
public and
will be held
Friday, Oct.
17 from 7
a.m. to 2:30
p.m. at the
Persimmon Country Club. 500 S.E.
Butler Rd., Gresham. Reservations
can be made by calling 503-665-
1131.
Frankie Faison, a Tony award
nominated and seasoned character
actor has ap­
peared
in
many televi­
sion and film
roles, is one
of
the
s u m m it’s
k e y n o te
sp e ak e rs.
Actor Roscoe Orman Faison has
starred in the Silence of the Lambs,
Do the Right Thing. City of Hope,
continued
on page A 16
Emerging Industries Grow with PCC
Alternative energy
brings work force needs
With the impending construction of a huge
wind farm and big interest in alternative energy,
Portland Community College is responding with
a new option to its existing Electronic Engineer-
ing T echnology
associate's degree.
The Renewable
Energy System s
option, which re­
cently was a p ­
proved by the state,
prepares techni­
cians to work in the
maintenance of all renewable energy systems,
including solar, fuel cell and wind manufacturing
industries.
This option is similar to the one at Columbia
(iorge Community College and shares some
courses. Students will get a chance to experience
what it is like to be a technician in these fields,
including having a chance to climb one of the
windmills at the farm.
"This is the most comprehensive renewable
energy systems training offering in the state of
Oregon," said Sanda W illiams, instructor in
Electronic Engineering Technology. "Gradu­
ates can work in any of the areas and we have
classes that they can take a, different cam ­
puses. We are dedicated to serving the com­
munity and industry in the best possible way to
direct students to
jobs that remain
local. We have
great faculty and
plenty o f s e r­
vices. We are
e x c ite d about
what we’ve done
-S a n d a Williams
here."
Three years ago, the electronic engineering
program, based at the Sylvania Campus in south­
west Portland was going through a reinvention of
its curriculum, eventually adding Biomedical En­
gineering and Wireless and Data Communication
Engineering technology options.
But industry leaders mentioned the need for
We are dedicated to serving the
community and industry in the best
possible way to direct students to
jobs that remain local.
Electronic Engineering Technology instructor Sanda Williams works with a student at
Portland Community College.
I
continued
on page 4 18