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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.
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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.