Meet our board of Education Continued
An educator for many years teaching such subjects as sociology, industrial technology and program development, Dave Shields knows the importance of educating the workers of tomorrow. Raised in central Oregon and eventually making his way to Portland, Shields fell in love with Gresham, actively got involved in local government and taught at MHCC for many years. He also worked at EASTCO Machining as CEO/President. An instructor at MHCC from 1971 to 2002, Shields was enamored enough with MHCC to return out of retirement to join the Mt. Hood Community College District Board for zone 1 in 2005. “[I wanted] to give back to the community and support [students] in their endeavors,” said Shields. Many other positions Shields has held include holding a seat in the Gresham City Council from 2001 to 2005. He has also volunteered in the Gresham City Planning Commission, City of Gresham Transportation Committee, and Gresham City Finance Committee and several other committees. Shields also took part in the MHCC Bond Committee in 2003. In his mission to make student life a little easier, Shields has focused much of his attention on utilizing student services and providing more opportunities for student assistance. His goal is to increase the number of high school graduates by 7 percent. He also hopes to actively recruit new students and offer more classroom opportunities. “Forging a strong relationship between the college, the community and students relationships” is another way Shields wants to strengthen MHCC during his stay on the board. His enrollment priorities include holding a stronger retention rate, building a strong tie with local K-12 systems and create an easier road for students on their way to the university level. With the upcoming bond election, Shields wants a way to live up to MHCC’s mission statement. He wants to give the ability to “make life choices, adapt to change, build strong communities, contribute to and derive benefit from the new economy, and become part of a skilled workforce.” “Passing the bond [will generate] the revenue and resources to support [students] in their mission,” said Shields. “[We need] to make sure it lives up to community expectations.” Through the many improvements he will make until his term is up in 2009, Shields compares life on the board to a never-ending race. He says there’s “always improving, looking for challenges, [and] facing those changes.”
|
