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Ģ����ý Foundation adds local community leaders to its board

Story by Kate Chester

The Ģ����ý Foundation board of directors has expanded with the addition of two new members.

Carol Lyons, managing partner of Lyons Aircraft Leasing and Lyons Properties, and Susie Lahsene, senior manager for Transportation and Land Use Policy for the Port of Portland, have been tapped to serve on the board of the Ģ����ý Foundation for three-year terms.

“We are thrilled to have the expertise and the enthusiasm of Carol and Susie on our Foundation board,” said Rob Wagner, associate vice president of Ģ����ý’s College Advancement office. “Both have a passion for growing the number of annual scholarships the college can distribute to students, and both are connected to career technical industries which will bolster Ģ����ý’s network of industry partners and perhaps the avenues open to students.”

Prior to running her family’s business, which includes Hillsboro Aviation, Lyons was an environmental planner for the Port of Portland and an operations coordinator for Portland International Airport. She also worked in the insurance business, with Monarch Life Insurance, for 20 years.

A desire to give students the opportunity to attend college, coupled with seeing a direct connection between college education and economic prosperity, were the reasons that inspired Lyons to join the Ģ����ý Foundation.

“I’ve been a student at Ģ����ý taking both credit and non-credit classes for more than 25 years,” said Lyons. “I’ve seen, firsthand, just how relevant an education at Ģ����ý is – in fact, Hillsboro Aviation has hired numerous Ģ����ý graduates because of their knowledge and skills coming out of the college’s Aviation Science and Maintenance programs.”

Lahsene has been in her current role with the Port of Portland since 2004. In this capacity she oversees land use policy and transportation capital strategy and fund acquisition for the Port’s transportation system, terminals and industrial land base.

In addition to her role on the Ģ����ý Foundation, she serves as the chair of the Oregon Freight Advisory Committee; co-chair of the Transportation Research Board; chair of the National Academy of Sciences, freight modeling subcommittee; board member of the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium; and member of the Working Waterfront Coalition.

“The Ģ����ý Foundation provides critical resources for folks with interest in pursuing an education,” said Lahsene. “I am very excited to be part of the process that connects students with real-world opportunities, those that can support them on a course that helps to shape their professional future.”

As the only nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the college, the Ģ����ý Foundation helps students access education by awarding scholarships and building the college’s capacity to provide vital educational opportunities for the community at large. The volunteer board of directors, representing a wide range of business and community interests, leads the Ģ����ý Foundation.