President Young's College Update

From President Young - August 13, 2025

As I write this week’s column, I’ve just returned from the annual Oregon President’s Council (OPC) Retreat—a rotating conference hosted annually by one of the 17 Oregon community colleges. This year, the retreat was held at Mount Hood Community College. Prior to 2025 the retreat was held at Tillamook Bay Community College. Going back to 2016, the retreat was held in “beautiful Ontario, Oregon” which was also my sixth year as president of Treasure Valley Community College.

Since then, the community college leadership landscape has evolved. Several presidents have retired, and new leaders have joined our ranks.  I have also discovered that I am the second longest serving community college president in the group.  How time flies. I remember when I was the new president on the block and had much to learn.  This August, OPC was honored to welcome new presidents from Central Oregon Community College and Oregon Coast Community College who brought fresh perspectives and energy to our shared mission.

This annual retreat is a vital time for Oregon’s community college presidents to come together for professional development, to receive updates on state and federal initiatives relating to higher education, learn about national and state trends, and—most importantly—to recognize and celebrate the outstanding work being done at each of our institutions to support student success. It’s also a time when we review our shared goals and set strategic objectives for the coming academic year.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because I am honored to be part of a statewide group of educators and leaders who share a common vision. Together, we are deeply committed to equity, access, and student achievement for all across Oregon’s community colleges.

Closer to home, there’s been exciting activity on the Treasure Valley Community College campus. We recently hosted Destination Dream Job in partnership with OSU Extension, Frontier STEM Hub, and the Malheur ESD. Incoming 9th graders had the opportunity to explore various career paths and complete the YouScience aptitude assessment to begin aligning their interests with potential future careers. We were pleased to welcome 37 local students to campus for this engaging event.

Additionally, Electrical Apprenticeship Coordinator Jackie Koehler led a successful Pre-Apprenticeship Camp for students interested in becoming electricians or HVAC technicians. During this two-day camp, held in our CTE building, students engaged in hands-on learning by fabricating and wiring mini swamp coolers. We’re especially grateful to Stan's Heating and Cooling, who generously sent two of their technicians to support TVCC staff in delivering this experience.

Finally, I’m pleased to share that we have hired Claudia Wilcox as a part-time Addiction Studies Coordinator. Claudia will play a key role in supporting the continued growth of our program and expanding our efforts in behavioral health education moving forward.

It’s an exciting time at TVCC as we continue to invest in student opportunity, workforce development, and regional collaboration—all while remaining aligned with the broader vision we share across Oregon’s community college system.

Dr. Dana M. Young, President
Treasure Valley Community College