In 2022, Dr. Adrien Bennings joined Portland Community College as the college’s eighth president, making her the first permanent female president in PCC’s history.

Bennings has been in higher education for more than 15 years. She has taught courses in human resources, small business development, academic development, and retention.

Before coming to Portland she served as president of Kellogg Community College. KCC is one of 28 community colleges in Michigan, and its service region spans three counties. Bennings also served as president of the Kellogg Community College Foundation, leading the foundation’s strategic planning and fundraising activities and advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Prior to joining KCC, Bennings was vice president of administration and finance and chief financial officer at Clovis Community College in New Mexico. Before this, she previously served as regional director of small business development at Texas Tech University where she advanced economic development initiatives spanning a 16-county area. She also serves as a certified peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.

Bennings' educational background includes a doctorate in higher education administration from Texas Tech University; a master’s in business administration with a human resource concentration from Wayland Baptist University; and a bachelor’s in agricultural development from Texas A&M University.