PORTLAND, Ore. – Dina Farrell, associate vice president of finance for Portland Community College, has been named to the prestigious National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Fellows Program. Farrell is the second community college financial professional in the country to ever be selected to participate in this year-long leadership development program.

Farrell joined PCC in 2017 as the budget manager, working closely with the College President’s Cabinet throughout the biennial budget process. She ensured that the college’s budget was proposed, approved and adopted in accordance with Oregon Budget Law. 

She continued in that role as well as assuming additional duties as the acting and interim associate vice president for finance in 2018. Farrell was named the permanent associate vice president position in July of 2019. She has over 20 years of relevant experience not only in higher education but in a variety of organizations including K-12 and the public healthcare industry.

“It is an honor to be selected to represent Portland Community College in the NACUBO Fellows program,” Farrell said. “I am excited by the opportunity to be able to meet, learn from, collaborate and share experiences with such a high-caliber group of leaders from across the country. I hope to form lasting professional relationships and learn some valuable management tools that will contribute to both my professional growth and the long-term success of PCC.”

The NACUBO Fellows Program selects higher education professionals from colleges and universities across the country for the intensive leadership development program. Over the year of the program, NACUBO Fellows work with higher education presidents, provosts, chief business officers (CBOs), and other experts as they expand their management, communications, and leadership skills.

The NACUBO Fellows Program is a proven launching pad to career growth. In the five years NACUBO has offered the leadership development program, more than a dozen graduates have been promoted to senior leadership positions. 

“Strengthening and diversifying the pool of business and finance leaders in higher education is part of NACUBO’s DNA,” said NACUBO President and CEO Susan Whealler Johnston. “We are honored to welcome these impressive new NACUBO Fellows and look forward to helping them grow as leaders over the course of the next year.”

About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 60,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, eight education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

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SCAPPOOSE, Ore. – Years of planning and construction have finally paid off as Portland Community College’s Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Training Center opens for classes this summer and credit offerings are planned to start this fall.

The training center is the educational arm of the nearby Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC) initiative  — a collaboration of industry, higher education and government that combines applied research and development and workforce training.

PCC's facility is traditionally known as the OMIC Training Center and is located at the college’s Columbia County Center (34001 NE Wagner Ct. in Scappoose). It officially opens on Monday, Aug. 16 with a free, five-week series of “On-Ramp to Manufacturing” classes that are designed for people interested in working in advanced manufacturing. Students have flexibility in attending some of the sections or all three. These courses will be taught in-person pending any unforeseen COVID-19 restrictions. If not in-person, classes will be moved to an online platform.

These non-credit, introductory classes help participants make informed decisions about their careers, build skills for success in school or on the job, and access support on their journey to becoming a PCC student. The “On Ramp” offerings are funded through the PCC’s Reimagining Integrated Support for Equitable Success (RISES) Project -- a $2.25 million U.S. Department of Education grant to develop student support initiatives and evaluation activities during the next five years to buttress the college’s student completion work.

The courses include:

“Explore Options” (9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Aug. 16-20) -- Students look at career paths in manufacturing, learn about educational opportunities and connect with industry professionals. It will feature PCC programs like Bioscience, Computer Aided Design and Drafting, Electronic Engineering, Machine Manufacturing, Microelectronics and Welding.

“On-Board to PCC” (10-11 a.m., Aug. 23-27) -- Attendees will receive support as they enter the admissions process at PCC, connect with other students and build skills.

“Build Skills for Manufacturing '' (9 a.m. to noon, Aug. 31-Sept. 17) -- Students will learn essential skills that will help them succeed in school and on the job. They will get experience drawing to scale, taking measurements and working with an xArm robot to build knowledge and confidence.

Classes are aimed at students looking to start in the manufacturing trades or those working professionals who are seeking new skills to advance their careers.

For more information on the “On Ramps” training, call (971) 722-2175.

About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 60,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, eight education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/