FORMER SAINTS STUDENT NOW MHCC PRESIDENT’S ASSISTANT

While new to the president’s office, as executive assistant to President Lisa Skari, Felisha Brewer is no stranger to the Mt. Hood campus.

Filling the role held previously by Pam Benjamin for 29 years, Brewer is a former Saints student who has quickly grown comfortable in her new position, announced in October.

Brewer comes to MHCC after 10 years at David Douglas High School, where she spent nine years advising students on all things college- and career-related. Then she became an assistant to the administrative team.

“I basically oversaw the calendars and the workloads of five of our (administrators),” said Brewer. Now, she’s doing similar work, but on a much higher level.

“So far, I pretty much navigate Dr. Skari’s calendar. I make sure she’s doing what she’s supposed to when she’s supposed to be, and make sure she stays on track scheduling-wise, because a lot of people obviously want to see her.”

Brewer also takes notes for the President’s executive cabinet and said she will also be getting plugged into the Access and Diversity council soon.

“The wonderful thing is that (Skari) is willing to let me kind of stretch my wings and dabble in other things, too,” she said.

Raised in Seattle, Brewer attended Shoreline Community College on a basketball scholarship before moving to Oregon and becoming a student at MHCC for a change in environment and a desire for more independence.

She took all of the accounting courses here, but then decided she was more of a people person than a number person. This pre-existing connection to the college makes settling into her new role a little easier.

“I’ve always had a good relationship with Mt. Hood, so it wasn’t really too much of a stretch for me because I’ve always resided out here, and I went to school here, so I kind of knew what it was going to be like,” Brewer said about pursuing her new job. “But it was definitely a step-up for me, and I was really excited to do that.”

Outside of work at Mt. Hood, Brewer enjoys spending time with friends and family. She’s a mother of four children, two of which are in their twenties, the other two age 11 and 7.

“It’s a lot of shuttling around to sporting events and activities and stuff, and that’s really fun for me to watch them do those things and kind of figure out their passions,” she said.

When Brewer was a child, she wanted to be a singer when she grew up. “That’s still kind of a passion of mine. I do it outside of work, so I guess I kind of followed that dream,” she said. She’s involved in her church and sings on the worship team.

“I love getting to know new people, so that’s a huge part of why I’m here,” said Brewer. “If you see me on campus, I totally welcome a warm smile and a ‘Hello.’ ”