Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Jessica Bernards

Jessica Bernards is an award-winning educator, curriculum author, and keynote speaker who now brings her expertise to both education and business. Jessica believes that with clear training and a supportive framework, teams across all sectors can strengthen leadership, communication, and adaptability while learning to integrate new technologies like AI responsibly.

Connie Plowman

Connie Plowman is an education and corporate leader with deep expertise in leadership and project management. She is an Adjunct Faculty member at PCC and previously held senior leadership roles, including Interim Executive Director at the CLIMB and Newberg Centers.

In the corporate sector, Connie spent over two decades with an international project management firm, retiring as Chief Operating Officer, and led education initiatives at IBM. She is the co-author of two project management books and holds professional credentials including Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Certified Emotional Intelligence Trainer, and Project Management Professional (PMP®).

Mark J. Van Heuvel

Mark J. Van Heuvel is a business, project management, and education professional with experience in corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, and higher education. He is an Adjunct Faculty member at PCC, teaching Project Management and courses in business, leadership, and strategic planning.

Mark is also Managing Director of Laren Group LLC, a West Coast commercial real estate firm specializing in self-storage. His corporate background includes management roles at G. Heileman Brewing Company, Vancorp International, and Kraft Foods, where he focused on operations, human resources, and business development.

He is the author of Your Winning Project, a project management guide blending technical skills with effective team leadership.