Continuous Learning for Individuals, Management & Business

Michelle Brubaker’s experience at PCC offers a common story. It starts out something like this: she’s passionate about what she does, she’s been with PCC for over two decades, and she’s constantly keeping up to date with industry trends to bring timely relevance to the topics she instructs. She's also an author of several books about marketing and a consultant and public speaker. We connected with Michelle to learn a little more about her experience, vision and what she brings to the classroom.

by Jennifer Anderson

Over the course of a 40-year career, you are likely to spend 100,000 hours of your life working.

The hours of your life that you spend working will largely dictate whether or not you find it easy to be a happy person. They’ll have an impact on your health, your relationships and your finances. Those 100,000 hours will also have an impact on the world.

Regardless of what field you are in, whether you hold a professional license, or continuing education is required for your profession, everyone benefits from professional development on a regular basis. Proactively completing formal learning and development demonstrates initiative to your manager, and if you are the manager, it sets a great example for your staff.

Before Mark Van Heuvel began teaching at PCC he had a career as a manager working with iconic regional and national food and beverage industry brands, including Kraft. He’s been an instructor with PCC for more than twenty years and currently leads several Project Management courses with PCC’s Professional Development and Training program. We recently connected with Mark to learn about trends in project management. 

Mediation Instructor Tsipora Dimant is a former program manager with PCC’s Community Education program – but her connection to Portland Community College runs even deeper. She arrived in the United States from Israel in 1974 and earned a GED, then an Associate’s Degree from PCC. Tsipora began studying mediation in 1992 and became an instructor for the subject in 2005. Inspired by the conflict in her native Israel, Tsipora strives to find resolutions to complex communication challenges. Her experience in mediation training spans decades and encapsulates diverse fields including small claims court, business, nonprofits and higher education.

Jerry Lasselle is an instructor for PCC’s real estate broker test prep course and has taught the course for more than ten years. He’s worked as an accountant for a large national CPA firm and also as a staff attorney for large Northwest law firm. He’s lived in Portland all his life and says he’s amazed at the many changes the city has experienced. We recently checked in with him to learn more about his experience with real estate and what continues to inspire his interest. 

Dave Amato has been active in the real estate industry for 45+ years and an active Real Estate Broker since 2003. During his 23-year career as a builder/developer his projects added over 200 units of housing to Portland metro market. He has served on the board of directors for the Portland Metropolitan Home builders and currently serves on the Board of the Oregon Association of Realtors. We recently sat down with him to learn more about his course.

The demand for licensed property managers is high — and it’s growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 10% increase (faster than average) in employment opportunities for property, real estate, and community association managers over the next decade. Median pay for a licensed property manager is just under $60,000 per year. If you’ve been looking for a career that provides job security and a good salary — or you want to learn to manage the properties you already own — becoming a licensed property manager might be the right choice for you.

We get it, not all companies can be Google, offering complimentary laundry services, haircuts, gourmet meals, nap pods, swimming pools... We can go on but you get the idea. Google discovered early on that a happy employee is a productive employee. When you can hold on to great employees, it means less time and money spent on recruitment and training. And keeping those employees happy? That will translate to your bottom line. Read on to discover why company culture is MUCH more than just a mission statement.

If you enjoy working with people, like the idea of making your own schedule, and you’re comfortable generating and pursuing leads, a career as a real estate broker can be both satisfying and financially rewarding. After three years of experience, a broker can become a Principal Broker and lead a team. Often times the general public will refer to the Broker as a Real Estate Agent — but there’s a difference. Read on to learn more!