Oregon’s largest community college recently cut ties with its president, but that doesn’t mean her troubles are over.
After a three-month preliminary review, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC) on Friday, June 12, voted to open a full investigation into former Portland Community College (PCC) President Adrien Bennings over potential conflicts of interest when she served in the role.
“Based on the information available in this preliminary review, there appears to be a substantial objective basis to believe that Adrien Bennings may have violated the prohibited use of office and conflict of interest provisions of Oregon Government Ethics Law,” the review documents state.
As reported by the Mercury in April, a complaint filed with OGEC in March raised concerns that Bennings directed the school to use the slogan “One Together, Together One,” which is trademarked by her company G7 Enterprises. That company was registered with the state on October 27, 2022, just after Bennings took the role as president. Three complaints, separately filed by PCC board member Kien Truong and two other people, said that could violate state law.
OGEC agreed, saying that Bennings may have violated state law by using her position for personal gain, and potentially violated another state law by failing to follow the proper methods of disclosing actual or potential conflicts of interest.
PCC and Bennings have maintained that there is no financial agreement between G7 Enterprises and the school. But with the “One Together, Together One” slogan plastered on merchandise materials on and off campus, the complaints said it was unclear whether she could still benefit from the school’s use of the private slogan.
“As Oregon’s largest institution of higher education, PCC has publicly promoted a phrase that is privately trademarked by its own president,” Truong’s complaint said. “Even absent a direct financial transaction, this may constitute a benefit to a private interest derived from the use of a public position.”
Another complainant, Andrew Harsha, filed a similar complaint on March 25, and PCC faculty member Jessica Bernards also filed a similar complaint on April 2. The three complaints were considered together.
Bennings and PCC’s board of directors finalized a separation agreement last month, effective May 15. Bennings started as PCC’s president on July 1, 2022, making a $345,000 base salary plus benefits. The separation agreement included leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, and her final day is technically June 30. Her final check includes a full $25,000 annual retention bonus, a severance payment totaling $261,000, all remaining vacation pay, and nine months of health insurance benefits. The agreement also included a parachute for future job opportunities, including a non-disparagement clause, a positive response from the human resources office, and a letter of reference from PCC Board President Tiffani Penson.
State law prohibits the use of an official position for personal gain, with some specific exceptions. As part of her separation agreement, PCC released any potential future claims of fraud, theft, or embezzlement, or claims related to PCC’s use of a branded slogan trademarked by Bennings’ private company. Truong, the board member, was the lone “no” vote on the separation package, saying the potential conflict was a serious legal matter.
“In my view, this separation agreement is not a good use of public dollars, and I will vote no tonight,” Truong said. “Not because I oppose the college moving forward, but because I cannot put my name on a package that pays too much and silences too many. I want a change in leadership. I want the college to heal. But we cannot heal without acknowledging the challenges that our college community has faced.”
Bennings did not immediately respond to the Mercury’s June 12 request for comment.
An attorney for Bennings submitted a response to the complaints to OGEC on April 30, according to the review documents. In the response, attorney David Elkanich said Bennings developed the slogan prior to joining PCC and had “incorporated it widely into her work on the basis that it succinctly captures her professional outlook and overall leadership approach.”
OGEC documents said the attorney denied any financial agreement between Bennings and PCC.
“The response states that G7 Enterprises LLC, a source of income producing less than 10% of Adrien Bennings’ annual income, has never done business with PCC, nor has there been any financial transactions between the two entities,” the review documents stated.
OGEC also voted Friday to dismiss a separate complaint that Bernards filed April 7, which alleged that Bennings used publicly funded photography for private commercial purposes when she used portraits on her personal website that PCC commissioned and paid for.
“The information available in this preliminary review appears to be insufficient to constitute a substantial, objective basis for believing that Adrien Bennings violated the conflict of interest and prohibited use of office provisions in Oregon Government Ethics Law,” the review documents stated.
Josh Sullivan, the preliminary review investigator, told the Mercury the investigation is expected to be completed within 180 days. Cases are scheduled to go back to OGEC at the end of the investigation phase on November 13, 2026.
