Arianna Huffington, the chair, president, and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group will be the keynote speaker at the 16^th Annual Simon Benson Awards Dinner, held on Oct. 29 at the Oregon Convention Center. Bank of America is the Presenting Sponsor of the dinner.

Named after one of Oregon’s first philanthropists, The Simon Benson Awards Dinner is Portland State University’s signature fundraising gala. This year’s dinner will offer PSU and the PSU Foundation an opportunity to celebrate the tremendous fundraising momentum that resulted in $46 million in private gifts raised in the last fiscal year. Last year’s Simon Benson Awards Dinner raised more than $1 million for PSU and over the course of fifteen years has raised more than $8.1 million for scholarships and other priorities.

The Simon Benson Award for Philanthropy was created by PSU in 1999 to honor the state's contemporary pioneers of philanthropy. Recipients are tireless community leaders who give generously of their time and resources and whose legacies will affect the lives of Oregonians for generations.

Recipients of the 2015 Simon Benson Award for Philanthropy

The Schlesinger family’s passionate commitment to higher education transforms lives. Now in its fourth generation, Schlesinger Companies, a Portland -based real estate group, manages and develops landmark properties in the Pacific Northwest. PSU was honored to be the first recipient of a gift from the Schlesinger Family Foundation in 1983.  

Recipient of the 2015 Simon Benson Award for Alumni Achievement

The 2015 Simon Benson Award for Alumni Achievement will be presented to Greg Ness, MBA ’87.

Ness is the chairman, president and CEO of The Standard and serves as board member for Greater Portland, Inc., Grow Oregon, The Armory Theater Fund, OHSU Foundation and Oregon Business Council. Ness says his most valuable professional move was returning to school and earning an MBA at PSU. For more than 20 years, Greg and Terry, his wife, have been generous supporters of PSU’s School of Business Administration.

 The Simon Benson Award for Alumni Achievement was introduced in 2012, honoring outstanding alumni who are recognized for service, achievement, and for encouraging alumni to provide perpetual support to PSU.

For information about tickets and sponsorships, please go to Simon Benson Awards.