August 31, 2016
Page 5
Jeremy Patrick Kidwell
Explosive
Targeted
Homeless
Family
Kali Thorne-Ladd takes the oath of office as vice-chair of the Portland Community College Board of Directors. PCC Interim Presi-
dent Sylvia Kelley (left) led the Aug. 18 ceremony.
PCC Board Leaders Named
The Portland Community College
Board of Directors has named Gene Pitts,
a high tech executive, as chair and Kali
Thorne-Ladd, an education leader from
Portland’s black community, as vice chair.
Pitts, a technical marketing director at
Intel Corp., was first elected to the board
in 2009 representing southwest Portland
and Washington and Yamhill counties.
He graduated from Clemson University
with bachelor and master’s degrees in
electrical and computer engineering and
has more than 30 years of experience in
the high-tech sector.
Thorne-Ladd was appointed to the
board in 2012 and elected in 2013. She
represents north Portland and portions
of Columbia County and serves as
co-founder of KairosPDX, which is a
non-profit organization focused on eq-
uity and access to quality early learning
opportunities.
Thorne-Ladd formerly worked as the
education strategies director for the Port-
land mayor’s office. In addition, she is
a board member with Camp Fire USA,
Portland Leadership Foundation and is
a steering committee member with the
Cradle to Career Initiative. She holds a
master’s degree in education policy and
management from Harvard University.
The PCC Board governs the college,
which includes selecting the president,
approving the hiring of other staff and
faculty, approving the college budget and
establishing school policies.
Police arrested a southeast Portland
resident accused of placing an explosive
device underneath a motor home occu-
pied by a homeless family.
Police said Jeremy Patrick Kidwell,
46, lived in the area and indicated that he
was upset with people living on the street
in RVs in the neighborhood.
The motor home was parked along
Southeast 160th and Division when a
pipe with a fuse was tossed under it
around 5 a.m. on Aug. 24. The home-
less family was inside. The Metropolitan
Explosives Disposal Unit responded to
the scene to collect and assess the unex-
ploded device. No parties involved were
injured.
Later, at about 6 p.m. later that eve-
ning, police identified Kidwell as the
suspect when he returned to the scene
and was questioned. Kidwell was taken
into custody on charges of manufactur-
ing and possession of a destructive de-
vice and arson.