Fall 2015
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BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUMMER PROGRAM FOR YOUTH
Learning Can Be Fun offers a handson approach to many topics, including art, outdoor adventures, ecology, theater, creative writing, music, veterinary technology, computer programming, digital photography, soccer, basketball, and robotics, just to name a few. This summer, 712 K-12 students participated in 66 creative classes.
Blue Ridge Community College thanks the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, McDonald’s-Boxley Organization, the Rudy Tucker family, and the Shenandoah Valley Kiwanis Club for supporting the Learning Can Be Fun program by providing need-based scholarships to 28 students this summer. Additional support is provided by the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation.
BRCC Educational Foundation Board Chair Thomas C. Mendez Vice-Chair Cathleen P. Welsh Secretary John A. Downey Treasurer Franki A. Hampton
Kelly R.S. Blosser Alphonso P. Boxley III Debra S. Callison Denise E. “D.D.” Dawson Douglas G. Driver Teresa H. Gauldin Nancy Hulings
Elizabeth Jerlinski Camala B. Kite Mary Louise Leake David L. Ledbetter Martha Livick Beverly B. McGowan Robert W. Riley
Karen E. Santos Jerry D. Sheets Alan L. Shelton Stacey D. Strawn Alan J. Sweet Travis J. Tysinger Cynthia Weidner
Community Link is an official publication of the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation. It is distributed to friends in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as BRCC faculty and staff, and is published quarterly by the Development Office, Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, VA 24486. If you have any questions or comments regarding this publication, please contact Angie Glenn, Development Services Coordinator, at (540) 453-2307 or glenna@brcc.edu.
Recreation Center Membership Now Available to BRCC Alumni
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BRCC alumni are now be eligible for membership at the BRCC Recreation Center. The Rec Center includes two cardio areas, strength area, full size gymnasium, two racquetball courts, game room, two exercise rooms, and shower facilities. Group exercise classes are included in membership at no extra cost. Membership is $150 a year or $50 a semester. For more information about the Rec Center visit http://community.brcc.edu/ brrc/. Questions? Contact Rec Center Director, Laurie Miller, at millerl@brcc.edu or (540) 453-2316.
Alumni Quick Quotes We recently surveyed BRCC Alumni, and below are just a few of the many positive responses received when asked,
“What could have been done to improve your learning experience at BRCC?” “Absolutely nothing! I feel so very grateful that BRCC was available to me when I graduated from high school. From the day I walked into the counseling office to talk about my options and how to have help to pay for it, my life changed completely. I had the BEST teachers there and it was by far the best educational experience of my life. It helped me decide to continue with my education to get a bachelor’s degree and later a master’s degree. I had a wonderful career and am now retired. I worked in the field of education and constantly encouraged the parents and students that I worked with to consider BRCC as an option. Thank you for improving my quality of life tenfold!!!”
“Not much, from my point of view in 1984. I took every computer programming class you offered between 1983 and 1984. That alone allowed me to break into the IT profession. I have been with state government for over 27 years in applications programming and will retire from it in less than three years. My investment at BRCC has been paid many times over. My wife and two children are all graduates. I plan to return to BRCC in retirement. Thank you so much for everything.”
Watch future issues of Community Link for inspiring BRCC alumni success stories that showcase how your investment in BRCC changes lives.
OVER $114,000 RAISED IN DENNIS BURNETT’S MEMORY
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Dennis Burnett made a lasting impact on our community, serving as Economic Development Director for Augusta County and Executive Director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership and through being an active and energetic community leader. Dennis, like many, began his education at Blue Ridge Community College. He was serving on the BRCC Educational Foundation Board at the time of his death. He believed strongly in the mission of the College, and recognized BRCC’s ability to impact our workforce development efforts was key to our community’s continued prosperity. When Dennis passed away suddenly October 21, 2014, many friends and colleagues wanted to find a way to honor his memory. Greg Campbell and Maggie Ragon led the fundraising effort to endow a scholarship to fund full tuition for a BRCC student every year, in perpetuity. Over $114,000 was raised, and the Dennis O. Burnett Memorial Endowed Scholarship became a reality. While the loss of Dennis is profound, his memory lives on, and a deserving BRCC student will be better able to attain their educational goals because of our community’s generosity.
BRCC Offers First Paperboard Packaging Technology Program in North America
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Blue Ridge Community College is offering the first paperboard packaging technology program in North America beginning this fall. Paperboard packaging is a $9 billion industry that prints images on paper-based materials, which are then converted into commercial packaging. This growing industry needs motivated workers with advanced technology skills, and BRCC expects this new program will prepare such individuals. “The need for highly-skilled operators in the field of die cutting and gluing is on the rise, and as the job demand continues to expand, programs such as this will be critical in fostering the emergence of such talent,” explained Murry Pitts, President and CEO of Carded Graphics.
The career studies certificate in Paperboard Packaging Technology provides an overview of the materials and processes used in the paperboard and corrugated packaging industry, and can be completed in just one year. Classes will cover the processes - from raw materials used to the finished products - with hands-on training in die cutting, folding and gluing. Classes will be held two days a week and will include facility tours and training, including an internship with an area business. Local companies supporting this program include Carded Graphics LLC, Packaging Corporation of America, Supply One, A.G. Stacker. Inc., and the InterChange Group, Inc. For more information, contact Sarah Martin, Instructor of Paperboard Packaging Technology, (540) 453-2317, MartinS@brcc.edu.
NEW FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS
Douglas Driver
Douglas Driver is a native of Broadway. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a B.S. degree in English and Economics and a graduate of the T.C. Williams School of Law. From 1988 to 1994 he was a practicing attorney at Litten & Sipe law firm in Harrisonburg. Since 1994, Driver has been employed at Lantz Construction Company. Driver is the past President and CEO of Lantz and currently serves as Chairman of Lantz’s Board of Directors. He resides with his wife, Gayle, in Broadway. Gayle is a professional photographer and served as a computer instructor at BRCC for many years. They have two grown children, daughter Lindsay, who is a Physician’s Assistant, and son Clark, who is a commercial construction superintendent for Lantz.
NEW FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS (CONTINUED) David Ledbetter serves as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Waynesboro. He has lived in the Waynesboro area since 1977 and is an alumnus of Blue Ridge Community College. David earned a degree in commerce from the University of Virginia and his law degree from George Mason University School of Law.
David Ledbetter
Teresa Gauldin is the President of Mathers Construction in Waynesboro and has served in this role since 2009. She resides in Augusta County with her husband David. They have three grown children and two grandchildren. Teresa is actively involved in the community. She is the current chairperson of the Waynesboro Salvation Army Advisory board and is a member of the Waynesboro East Augusta Rotary.
Teresa Gauldin
Mary Louise Leake
Mary Louise Leake began her career in 1970 teaching for Augusta County schools. In 1981 she joined Hollister Incorporated, a medical device company, retiring in 2009 as Wound Care Manager with 28 years of service. She is currently a part time guide at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. She has an A.S. degree from Ferrum College, a B.S. degree in English from Radford College, with graduate work at the University of Virginia. She has served on boards for United Way of Greater Augusta, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge and The Daily Living Center. She volunteers for Sentara RMH and is on the Governance and Nominations Committee for the DuPont Community Credit Union. Growing up in Harrisonburg, Mary Louise now resides in Waynesboro.
Put BRCC on Your Plate Promote Blue Ridge Community College by buying the special BRCC plates from the Virginia DMV. You’ll not only be displaying your affiliation; you’ll be supporting the College financially. After the first thousand plates are sold, $15 of the $25 purchase fee will be given back to the College. To order, go to the DMV web site at http://1.usa.gov/1JyTpAJ.
Bob Riley
Robert “Bob” Riley is the Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Augusta Health. He has served in this role since October 2013. Prior to joining Augusta Health, he served as the Chief Financial Officer for Prince William Hospital in Manassas for 10 years and has been in the healthcare industry for nearly 30 years. He earned a B.S. degree in Accounting and an M.B.A. from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. Bob and his wife, Marion, reside in Staunton and they have three grown children, Kristin, Justin and Marisa.
Alan Shelton is the Senior Food Scientist for Cargill Inc., located in Timberville. He earned a BS and MBA from EMU. Alan attended BRCC in the early 1970’s, and has always been thankful for the opportunities the college afforded him. He has worked 36 years at Cargill/Rocco in many capacities. Alan is very involved in the non-profit sector, having served on twelve different non-profit boards in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County over the years. Alan and his wife, Jane, live just outside of Harrisonburg. They have three grown children and are the proud grandparents of two.
Alan Shelton
Planned Giving Corner The BRCC Educational Foundation is proud to announce that we have 39 members in the Blue Ridge Vision Society (BRVS). It is heartening to know that friends of the College have included the BRCC Educational Foundation in their estate plans, signaling confidence in our mission. When you remember BRCC in your long-term planning, you are making a difference for generations of BRCC students to come. When you inform us that you have done so, you lead by example, encouraging others to do likewise. If you would like to learn more ways to make a legacy gift to Blue Ridge Community College, please contact the Foundation Office at (540) 453-2203.
Address Service Requested
April 22, 2016, 6:00 p.m., Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center
21st Annual Spring Fling Auction
October 7, 2015, 7:30 a.m., Waynesboro Country Club October 8, 2015, 7:30 a.m., Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center, Staunton October 16, 2015, 7:30 a.m., Holiday Inn, Harrisonburg
Community Breakfast Series
Save the Date
Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. P. O. Box 80 Weyers Cave, VA 24486 (540) 453-2211 www.brcc.edu/EdFound
Non Profit Org. U. S. Postage and Fees Paid BRCC