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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2022)
Page 2 April 06, 2022 The Selects New President Week in Review PCC Adrien Bennings Invasion War Crimes Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, accused Russia Monday of com- mitting war crimes in an evasion that begin Feb. 24 after graphic images emerged in recent days of civilians lying dead in the streets of the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, some with their hands bound and shot at close range. Housing Emergency Extended The Portland City Council voted last week to extend a citywide housing emergency for three more years. The decision comes as the city tries to figure out a more permanent solution to the housing crisis, and will allow the city to bypass some zoning laws to build shelters. Stop Gun Violence Concert Augustana Lutheran Church, a diverse church in northeast Port- land, opened its doors Monday night for a jazz all-star benefit supporting efforts to reduce gun violence. The money raised will help Lift Every Voice Oregon get ballot measures before vot- Arraigned for Riot ers in November to regulate mil- Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, a mem- itary-style assault weapons and ber of the far-right Proud Boys high-capacity weapons. extremist group, was arraigned March 23 in Portland on mul- tiple counts of riot, assault and unlawful use of a weapon in connection with a violent rally at a vacant Kmart in northeast Portland last year. Disgusting Retaliation Claim Hardesty Debt in Court A black man who complained that a Red Robin in Clackamas racially discriminated against his family says employees re- sponded by serving him a salad with a disgusting dressing he be- lieves was human semen. “He believes this was done on pur- pose — that someone targeted him because of the color of his skin,” said Jason Kafoury, the man’s lawyer. A Multnomah County judge ruled last week that Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty must pay Bank of America more than $16,000 in outstanding credit card debt. Hardesty later issued a statement saying she has made an intial payment and set up regular deductions from her wages to settle the matter. $8.5 million for Housing “This is my mistake and I take Habitat for Humanity in Portland received its largest-ever chari- full responsiblity,” she said. table donation — $8.5 million — last week from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The money will be used to create housing for low income families — especially historically margin- alized communities of color who have been blocked from econom- ic opportunities, officials said. Avalon Flowers A full service flower experience • Birthdays • Anniversaries • Funerals • Weddings We will make a splendid Cori Stewart-- Owner, Operator arrangement for you Open: Mon.-Fri. | 7:30am til 5:30pm Saturday | 9am til 2pm. 520 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204 | 503-796-9250 Website: avalonflowerspdx.com email: avalonflowers@msn.com We Offer Wire Services called passionate leader, student advocate Portland Community Col- lege’s Board of Directors selected Adrien Bennings as the college’s next president by unanimous vote Monday, following a nine-month national search. Bennings will replace Mark Mitsui, who is retiring at the end of June after serving as PCC’s president since 2016. The search process relied on a 23-member committee, chaired by board di- rectors Tiffani Penson and Dan Saltzman. Feedback from the college community and external stakeholders, based on public fo- rums with each of the finalists, was also considered, officials said. “We were tremendously im- pressed by Dr. Bennings’ passion for the transformative power of community colleges,” said Mo- hamed Alyajouri, chair of PCC’s Board of Directors. “Dr. Bennings brings demonstrated strengths as a strategic thinker and transpar- ent decision maker; as a skilled and collaborative communicator, relationship builder and fundrais- er; and as a strong advocate for equitable student success. Bennings is currently the pres- ident of Kellogg Community College, one of 28 community colleges in Michigan whose ser- vice region spans three counties. She is also the president of the Kellogg Community College Foundation, helping to lead the foundation’s strategic planning and fundraising activities, and advocating for equity, diversity, Adrien Bennings has been named the next president of Portland Community College. She will leave her position as president of Kellogg Community College in Michigan to become PCC’s first permanent woman president in July. and inclusion. Bennings has taught courses in human resources development, academic development and reten- tion, and small business develop- ment. Before joining KCC, she was the vice president of admin- istration and finance and chief fi- nancial officer at Clovis Commu- nity College in New Mexico. Prior to this, she served as regional di- rector of small business develop- ment at Texas Tech University. Additionally, she serves as a cer- tified peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission. The PCC Board’s decision to hire Bennings makes her PCC’s first female president, permanent- ly selected for the role. Sylvia Kelley, formerly PCC’s executive vice president, served as PCC’s interim president from 2015 to 2016 before Mitsui’s arrival. Alyajouri shared the PCC Board’s appreciation for the work of the presidential search adviso- ry committee and also thanked President Mitsui for nearly six years of exemplary work on be- half of the college. Bennings’ educational back- ground includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University; a Master of Science in Business Administration with a Human Resources concentration from Wayland Baptist Universi- ty; and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Development from Texas A&M University. Avel Gordly Day Proclaimed City Council honors longtime civil rights leader Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty led a city council session Wednesday proclaiming March 30 to be Avel Gordly Day. The longtime civil rights leader, legislator, and community orga- nizer joined friends and family for this well deserved recognition. Avel Louise Gordly was born in 1947 in Portland, to Beatrice and Fay Lee Gordly, a working-class family. Her father was a Union Pa- cific Pullman Porter. She went on to serve with the American Friends Service Committee, Black United Front, and later as State Represen- City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty (right) honors former State tative and the first Black woman Sen. Avel Gordly by sponsoring a resolution before the Portland City Council proclaiming Wednesday, March 30 as Avel Gordly Day. State Senator from 1991-2009.
