On Wednesday, Feb. 28, the MHCC District Board of Education voted unanimously to rename the auto center in honor of the Jaksichs. Nancy and Jerry Jaksich and their daughter Erinn Sowle own and operate Suburban Auto Group in Sandy, Oregon, and are longtime supporters of the college. Nancy has served on the MHCC Foundation Board for more than 11 years. Her roles on the board have included president, vice president and secretary, and she has served on the Foundation’s auction, finance and executive committees.

Last May, Nancy was recognized with an MHCC Patron Saint Award. Additionally, the foundation’s Finance Committee named the 2017 Hero for Education Scholarship in Jaksich’s honor.

“We’re extremely proud and thankful of the gifts of the Jaksich family and the work of Nancy Jaksich in promoting our college,” said MHCC President Dr. Debra Derr. “Her commitment to the advancement of MHCC and our Automotive Technology training programs has allowed us to provide new opportunities to our students.”

The Jaksich family has donated nearly $200,000 to MHCC over the years. In 2017, the family established an endowed scholarship for Automotive Technology students. Additionally, the Jaksich’s partner with the college’s automotive programs to hire students and graduates at their family dealerships.

The Jaksich Family Automotive Technology Center is a 26-bay auto center that serves as the training hub for the college’s three Associate of Applied Science automotive degree programs – the Ford Automotive Student Service Education Training (ASSET) program, the Chrysler MOPAR College Automotive Program (M-CAP), and Individual Mechanical Program of Repair Technicians (IMPORT) – and the nine-month Maintenance and Light Repair (MLR) Automotive Technology certificate program. In 2015, MHCC partnered with Subaru of America to also provide Subaru vehicle repair training through the IMPORT program.