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PORTLAND, Ore. - Kristin Watkins, associate vice president for advancement at Portland Community College and executive officer of the PCC Foundation, has been named the head of Oregon State University Foundation's office in Portland.

Watkins brings 17 years of experience in the Portland metro area to her new position as associate vice president of the OSU Portland Center. In addition to providing leadership to the OSU Foundation staff based in Portland, she will lead efforts to increase private support for OSU in the metropolitan area. With more than 40,000 alumni in greater Portland, the region is home to one in four of the university's graduates.

As PCC's chief advancement officer, Watkins established and led fundraising plans that nearly tripled annual revenue, bringing that institution's fundraising program into the top 10 percent of community colleges in the nation.

"I couldn't be more excited about joining the OSU Foundation's team," Watkins said. "As a graduate of two other land grant universities, I am passionate about the threefold land grant mission of accessible education, research and community outreach. It will be an honor to represent OSU in Portland and extend the university's connections with alumni and other partners."

The addition of Watkins to the OSU Foundation's leadership team comes as the organization prepares to conclude Oregon State's first comprehensive fundraising campaign on Dec. 31. In June, gifts from donors to The Campaign for OSU totaled more than $1.06 billion, including more than $180 million for scholarships and fellowships. Scholarship gifts like these support more than 3,000 students at OSU each year. Public events to celebrate the campaign's donors are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 31.

To date Portland metro donors have contributed more than $330 million to the campaign.

"The campaign has been a tremendous launching point for us, and as we move forward it is even more important that we build our relationships in Portland; it's our most important market," said Mike Goodwin, president and CEO of the OSU Foundation. "Kristin is well-known in the community, and her leadership has created truly impressive results. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Oregon State family."

Shawn Scoville, the OSU Foundation's executive vice president, added, "Not only do we have a tremendous community of alumni and friends in Portland, we also are committed to supporting the city and our state by collaborating with a variety of nonprofits, industry partners, and colleagues in higher education, including PCC. Kristin is uniquely positioned to help us take these already strong relationships to the next level."

A native of Virginia, Watkins graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in international studies from Virginia Tech then earned a master's degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the Portland Community College staff, she was deputy director for Wider Opportunities for Women, a national nonprofit organization based in District of Columbia. She serves as a board member on District VIII for CASE - the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Watkins will begin her work at the OSU Portland Center in early September.