PSU Magazine Spring 1990

As executive vice chancellor since 1985, Lemman has a variety of responsibiljties, including budget matters, personnel , computer services, state system facilities and institutional research. In late 1988 and early 1989, he served as OSSHE Chancellor, to fill the gap between resigning chancellor William E . Davis and incoming chancellor Thomas Bartlett. Lemman attended Vanport from 1946 to 1948, fresh from three years of Marine Corps duty in World War II. He wrote a column on popu lar recordings for the Vanguard and sold advertising to keep the paper going. Degrees were not available at Vanport and Lemman spent a year at the University of Oregon to get his bachelor's degree in business administration. He returned to Portland and in 1950 became assistant business manager at what was then still Vanport. In 1956 Lemman moved to Corvallis to be fiscal officer for the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station. In 1959 he once again returned to Portland State , thi s time for a 15-year stint as director of business affairs and vice president for business and finance . "Bill was great to work with," recalls State Senator Frank Roberts, a 37-year PSU faculty member. "When I would go to him with a request for funds for a special program, he was the kind of person who never said ' that isn't possible . ' He was a great facilitator of the system ." Lemman joined the state chancellor's office in 1974, and today he is a major proponent of higher education during legislative sessions , explaining budgets and policies to leg islators. Those same legis– lators describe him as a tough negotiator and able admi ni strator. Retired OSSHE Chancellor Roy Lieuallen says simply, " You know where he stands because he's always so straightforward. ,. Lemman and his wife Geena look forward to traveling after his retirement, but he still has strong ties to PSU. He's an active member of the 1620 Club, an informal group of alumni from the '60s and '70s, and hi s younger son Paul is a senior at Portland State, majoring in computer science. Lemman was taken by surprise when told of his Outstanding Alumni Award. "Do I qualify ?" he asked. "I didn't get a degree. I went to Vanport you know. " But according to the Recognition Committee of the Alumni Board: "Bill Lemman represents not only the success of an alumnus, but the success of the very idea of Portland State University as well. As a student at the Vanport Extension Center, Bill already was a veteran of both military service and other college campuses. He was the kind of student the institution was designed for and the kind of alumnus of which it can be proud." D Jory Miller Abrams Gm)' L. Dominick New alums on board J ory Miller Abrams, '79 BS , and Gary L. Dominick, '77 MSW, recently joined the 30-member PSU Alumni Board of Directors. Abrams is manager of Civil Engineering for CH2M Hill in Portland and recently completed a one-year term as president of the Oregon Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers where she served on the board of directors for nine years. In 1984 she was named Oregon Young Civil Engineer of the Year. Abrams is also a member of the Portland Advisory Committee for Engineering Education, a group which advises the academic community on engineering needs. Abrams and her husband Jerry live in Beaverton. Dominick , who earned his bachelor's degree in Social Science from PSU in 1973 and added another degree in psychology in 1974, came back to study at the Graduate School of Social Work because he wanted to "make health programs more humane and more available to low income families. " Today Dominick is a health planner for the Department of Human Resources in Salem responsible for recruiting medical providers in communities that are under– served. He also works with communities to develop primary care programs. Dominick serves as legis lati ve chairperson for the Oregon chapter of the National As ociation of Social Workers and is president of the recently forn1ed PSU Graduate School of Social Work Alumni Association. He and hi s wife Donna live in Lake Oswego. D Grads act as advocates P SU 's Alumni Advocate program will address some weighty issues this spring, including faculty salaries and PSU 's future. The program , established by the Alumni Board of Directors, is being organized by the Office ofAlumni Affairs. Advocates are concerned alumni or friends , identified by legislati ve district around the state , who volunteer to be informed about PSU and about higher education issues in the state. They will regularly receive current inforn1ation about the University from the Alumni Office. Alumni Board members serving on the Alumni Advocate Committee are Jory Abrams '79, Chuck Clemans ' 56, and Patrick Lockhart ' 71. Coordinating the activity in the Alumni Office are Pat Squire and Teresa O ' Hearn. According to alumni director Squire, more advocates are being sought: "This program is off to a good start , but we are seeking more interested alumni from throughout Oregon. Our first mailing netted a good return of volunteers. We're going to follow up with two more mailings and a telephone campaign to enli st additional support. " Board member Abrams says the advocates could play an important role in PSU 's future . "By keeping informed about their universi ty, these volunteers could help shape higher education policy in Oregon ," she sa id. Volunteers and prospective advocates identified by faculty members will receive informational·letters and questionnaires. Alumni interested in serving as advocates for PSU should call or write the Office of Alumni Affairs , PO. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207, 725-4948. D PSU 19