Portland Community College

PCC Foundation Portland Community College Foundation

Marion Levitan and Howard Werth

Marion Levitan and Howard Werth

The Werth family connection with PCC goes back to the very beginning! My mother taught Home Economics for PCC in the 60s and, many years later, I taught Introduction to Accounting as an adjunct professor. Around 2006, my family donated property in Newberg for PCC to build the Newberg Center. Marion then joined the Foundation Board to represent our family and our involvement has continued from there.

My grandfather didn’t get beyond an 8th grade education, but he was a huge believer in it – he made sure his children and grandchildren all had the financial resources needed to go to college. When it came time to honor my parents for their 60th wedding anniversary, it made sense to do so in a way that honors a core value for our family: education. We created an endowed scholarship at PCC in our parents’ names, and have added to it over the years.

Marion and I committed together as Champions because we are inspired by the concept of giving that’s perpetual in nature. The Student Success Fund has the lingering benefit to provide for individuals 10, 20, 30 years from now – supporting them through whatever obstacles they face as they use education to make positive changes in their lives.