PCC Foundation Adds Five New Board Members To Its Ranks (Photo) -07/09/24

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Community College Foundation Board of Trustees has welcomed five new faces to its membership.

The new trustees include Abby Coppock (independent consultant), Brigid Flanigan (Tenfold Senior Living), Elaine Charpentier Philippi (M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust), Sama Shagaga (NW Natural), and Rich Truitt (retired, Indian Health Service). The 21-member PCC Foundation board is a volunteer group that leads the foundation and represents a wide range of business and community interests to support student success at the college and beyond.

“It is with great excitement that we welcome our new board members to the Portland Community College Foundation,” said Foundation Board President Kim Morgan. “Their diverse backgrounds, expertise, and passion for education will undoubtedly enhance our mission to remove barriers to education at Portland Community College through the power of partnerships and create a community where anyone can thrive through education.”

New trustees include:

Abby Coppock

She is an independent consultant specializing in organizational transformation, leadership development, team effectiveness, and change management. Prior to consulting, Coppock (Northeast Portland) worked in communications for the City of Portland and in partnership development for a workforce reentry program in Chicago.  

Brigid Flanigan

Flanigan (Southwest Portland) has been developing and managing retirement communities in Oregon and California for 30 years. In her role as founder and principal of Tenfold Senior Living, she manages all aspects of the development process, including market analysis, public approvals, design, financing, construction and marketing. She is committed to urban redevelopment and is a strong supporter of the arts, including seven years on the board at Portland Center Stage.

Elaine Charpentier Philippi

As a senior program officer at M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, she helps facilitate grants for the Trust’s work investing in education, leadership and development across the Pacific Northwest. Having served on a number of boards and committees in Oregon and as the former Executive Director at In4All, an educational nonprofit, Charpentier Philippi (North Portland) said she believes in the power of education and in addressing barriers that individuals, families and communities navigate when accessing education pathways.

Sama Shagaga

A former PCC student, Shagaga (Northeast Portland) serves on the Partnerships and Government Affairs team at NW Natural where he collaborates with local nonprofits, unions and trade partners with a strategic focus on workforce development, energy education and community investment. He is an American Leadership Forum (ALF) Senior Fellow and a current board director for ALF Oregon. He also sits on several advisory groups working with local workforce boards and STEM Hubs.

Rich Truitt

A retired professional engineer, Truitt (Wilsonville) served with the Indian Health Service (IHS) for over 50 years (more than 36 years as a commissioned officer with the U.S. Public Health Service and 14 years as a civilian). During this time, he worked with Indigenous tribes throughout the American West to plan, design and construct safe water supply, waste disposal and healthcare facilities. He also served as an executive member of the governing boards of six federal healthcare facilities and is an active volunteer in the community.

For more on the PCC Foundation Board of Trustees, visit pcc.edu/foundation/who-we-are/board/

 

About the Portland Community College Foundation: Established in 1982, the Portland Community College Foundation is an independent, nonprofit charitable organization and the philanthropic arm of Portland Community College (PCC). The Foundation acts as a catalyst in securing and leveraging individual, corporate, and public support for scholarships, essential wraparound services, and vital educational programs. The Foundation distributes $2.3 million in scholarships annually, ensuring that students in the region have access to an excellent education at PCC and the support needed to succeed, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information, call 971-722-4382 or visit pcc.edu/foundation.

About Portland Community College: Founded in 1961, Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 50,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 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.

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