Oregon State Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena) was among the winners of the Howard Cherry Awards announced by the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA).
The awards celebrate the contributions that local advocates, administrators and board members have made to the benefit of community colleges in Oregon.
Hansell, who represents the vast District 29 of northeastern Oregon, won the Community College Advocate award. He has become one of the Legislature’s strongest champions for community colleges in the state. A former Umatilla County Commissioner now in his second term in the Senate, Hansell went to bat for community colleges during the 2021 Legislative Session.
A member of the Community College Caucus and the Joint Committee on Ways & Means, he was a supportive voice for increases to the Community College Support Fund, leading with passion and support for the role of community colleges in Oregon’s workforce and economy. Hansell fought for community colleges to retain management of educational programming and its associated funding in Oregon’s state prisons. He also attended every single “Workforce Wednesday” Zoom session during CTE Month in February 2021.
He is known for bringing his colleagues from around the state to Eastern Oregon and driving to other legislative districts in his pickup truck to encourage working across party lines to collaborate and better serve Oregonians.
