Volume LII • Number 16
‘City
of
Roses’
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • August 21, 2024
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Self Enhancement,
Inc. Announces
New CEO
Students and leadership from six Oregon Job Corps campuses honor the diamond anniversary at Leadership Summit in
Washington, DC
Program Celebrates
60th Anniversary
Oregon Job Corps
Campuses Honor
the Diamond
Anniversary
The U.S. Department of Labor hosted
six center directors and six student lead-
ers from the Oregon Job Corps campuses
among the 245 attendees from more than
120 campuses nationwide last week for
the third annual Job Corps Leadership
Summit. The event marked the culmina-
tion of the program’s yearlong 60th anni-
versary celebration.
“Since its inception, Job Corps’ mis-
sion has been, and continues to be,
changing lives through good jobs,” said
Assistant Secretary of Labor José Javi-
er Rodríguez. “The 60th anniversary is
a significant milestone to honor the past
and look forward to the next 60 years of
creating opportunities and career paths
for young adults across the country.”
During the summit, held in Washing-
ton, D.C., from Aug. 13–15, student lead-
ers from the centers met with government
officials, developed their leadership skills
and toured the nation’s capital.
“For six decades, Job Corps has em-
powered young people with the skills
and education needed for successful ca-
reers in high-demand industries,” said
Acting National Director for Job Corps
Erin McGee. “As we celebrate our 60th
anniversary, we honor our past while
building a modernized program that con-
tinues to meet the needs of our students
and the evolving workforce.”
Established as part of President Lyn-
don B. Johnson’s Economic Opportuni-
ty Act on Aug. 20, 1964, Job Corps has
since expanded to include more than 120
centers, including campuses in all 50
states and Puerto Rico. Oregon is home
to six Job Corps campuses: Angell Job
Corps Civilian Conservation Center (in
Yachats), PIVOT (in Portland), Spring-
dale (in Troutdale), Timber Lake Job
Corps Civilian Conservation Center (in
Estacada), Tongue Point (in Astoria) and
Wolf Creek Job Corps Civilian Conser-
vation Center (in Glide).
Job Corps is the U.S. Department
of Labor’s largest training program,
serving more than 50,000 students
annually. Since 1964, the program
has trained and educated more than
3 million individuals. It currently of-
fers training in more than 100 areas
across 10 industries, providing valu-
able skills and career opportunities to
young adults nationwide.
Trent Aldridge, Chief Executive Officer
(Photo courtesy of SEI)
Significant
Transition in
Leadership
Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI), a nation-
ally recognized youth development orga-
nization, is pleased to announce that Trent
Aldridge will succeed Tony Hopson, Sr.
as CEO. Founder Tony Hopson, Sr. will
be transitioning to a new role after an il-
lustrious career of over 43 years dedicated
to uplifting the lives of African American
youth and their families in the Portland
metro area.
Tony, a Portland native and graduate
of Jefferson High School, founded SEI in
1981. Initially conceived as a one-week
Enhancement Camp aimed at offering
positive alternatives for African American
teens, SEI quickly expanded under Tony's
visionary leadership. By 1989, it had be-
come a year-round program offering aca-
demic support and comprehensive wrap-
around services. In 1997, SEI opened the
Center for Self Enhancement, which now
serves thousands of youths and families
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