Guard honors college leaders

The Oregon National Guard recently recognized college leaders with the Commendation Medal for their support of veterans activity. The Guard awarded the Commendation Medal to Clackamas Community College President Joanne Truesdell and Shelly Parini, dean of College Advancement.

First Sgt. Phillip V. Jacques presented the award during the February Board of Education meeting. The college then presented Sgt. Jacques with a certificate of appreciation for his support on several shared projects.

The Guard award was given for outstanding service during the period from Oct. 1, 2011 to Oct. 1 2012. During that time, the college worked in partnership with the Oregon National Guard Reintegration Team, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Oregon Employment Department to present the first joint-service Hiring Our Heroes Career and Benefit Fair at CCC. More than 700 veterans attended the event.

The college also worked with the Army Reserve on the opening of the Army Strong Community Center at CCC and supports veterans and military family members through a dedicated scholarship through the CCC Foundation.

CCC has been recognized several times over the past few years for its efforts to support veterans and military families. These awards include the ESGR (Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve) “My Boss is a Patriot” award and the ESGR “Pro-Patria” Award. The college was a finalist for the ESGR National “Freedom Award” in 2011 and has been named a GI Jobs Military Friendly School for three consecutive years from 2010 through 2012.

In 2012, the college was awarded the Family Program Community Purple Award by the National Guard Bureau. This national award is given to one community group or organization from across the country each year that provides support to family and service members of both the Air and Army National Guard.

CCC has hosted three major career and benefit fairs, bringing veterans, members of the Oregon National Guard and military families together with dozens of veteran-friendly employers and veteran service providers. These fairs have been attended by guard leadership from Washington D.C. and have been recognized as the national model for the military to civilian reintegration process.

For more information, please contact Shelly Parini at 503-594-3015.