Rebecca Ocken named 2025 Woman of Vision for leadership and transformations at campuses
Story by Misty Bouse. Photos by James Hill and Misty Bouse.
Rebecca Ocken at the DJC’s Women of Vision Awards.
Portland Community College’s director of the Office of Planning and Construction (OPC) Rebecca Ocken has been recognized by the Daily Journal of Commerce as a 2025 Women of Vision Circle of Excellence honoree. The award celebrates women leading the way in the construction, architecture, engineering and real estate industries across Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Ocken oversees PCC’s 36-member OPC team, which manages multimillion-dollar bond-funded projects that shape the college’s campuses and learning environments. She currently directs implementation of PCC’s historic 2022 Bond Program, a $450 million investment focused on modernizing facilities, expanding workforce training opportunities, and creating more equitable and sustainable spaces across the district for students.
Under her leadership, PCC conducted its first-ever system-wide facilities planning process, a multiyear effort that engaged more than 100 stakeholders across eight work groups, a steering committee and a task force. This comprehensive planning directly informed the scope and priorities of the current bond.
In her 15 years with PCC, Ocken has advanced from project manager to planning manager and now to director of the department responsible for delivering on voter-approved bond measures.
Ocken with her award.
“The Office of Planning and Construction plans, designs, and builds learning environments that represent the community, foster connections, and serve students for generations to come,” Ocken said.
The college has completed award-winning facilities such as PCC’s first mass timber building (Opportunity Center at 42nd Avenue) and major renovations of Sylvania Campus’s Health Technology Building. Ocken has spearheaded the college’s low-income housing partnerships, with collaborations that resulted in major projects at PCC’s Southeast Campus (Legin Commons) and the OC42 Home Forward development.
“We are a team of collaborators,” Ocken said. “We innovate for equity and sustainability, we nurture teams, and we make big things happen.”
Ocken’s commitment to sustainable construction is evident in PCC’s pursuit of LEED Silver and Gold certifications and energy-efficient upgrades. Equity also stands at the center of Ocken’s work. PCC has become a national leader in workforce and contracting equity, partnering with women- and minority-owned firms and promoting diversity across job sites.
“People look to PCC to learn how to support the growth of small businesses,” Ocken said. “We’ve always had the objective of sharing the wealth of the bond.”
As she continues to guide PCC’s largest capital program to date, Ocken remains focused on the people behind the projects such as students, staff, and community members who will benefit for generations.
“It’s all about designing and building spaces where students want to learn and belong,” she said.
College partner Bric Architecture nominated Ocken for the DJC award.
For more information on OPC, visit pcc.edu/bond.