Clackamas Community College

To the Community:

This year started with increased awareness of the important role community colleges play in providing increased opportunity and a pipeline to economic stability for our state and nation.

Both the president of the United States and the Oregon Legislature are proposing plans to increase the affordability of community colleges. Whether these proposals come to fruition is difficult to predict, but they underscore the importance of obtaining post-secondary education in today’s economy.

By the end of this decade, two out of three job openings will require some higher education. Community colleges provide students the skills to meet the needs of the 21st century economy.

Thanks to the community passing our bond, CCC is well positioned to prepare the people in our district for the jobs of the future. As we begin planning for new facilities and upgrades to existing buildings, we are looking to the community again to partner with us in any number of ways.

With national spotlight on the role we play to strengthen the economy, the time is now to capitalize on the value of the community college system. Now’s the time to build more partnerships, as well as collaborate, innovate and leverage resources.

Three years ago, looking toward our 50th year of service, CCC developed an engagement process called Imagine Clackamas to better understand what students, businesses and community members most value about the college.

During this outreach, the community and students asked for greater help with the cost of financing an education. In response, the CCC Foundation created the Education That Works campaign, with a bold goal to raise $10 million to support student scholarships and community projects, such as the restoration of the Newell Creek Headwaters at the Environmental Learning Center.

We listened, and now we are acting. We are keeping our promise to the community. But we can’t do it without you. I ask you to join us as we forge partnerships and creative solutions to serve our community today and for the next 50 years.

Warm regards,

Joanne Truesdell

President Joanne Truesdell
CCC Class of 1982