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College Foundation
Members of the Edgecombe Community College Foundation Board of Directors include (front, from left) Jean Bailey, Ronnie Ellis, Martha Pritcher, Josie Davis, Ann Warren, Executive Director Lynwood Roberson, (back) Chief Advancement Officer Mark Lorence, Charles Penny, Margaret Anne Wooten, Eddie Stocks, ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod (ex officio member), Jane Thorne, Mahlon DeLoatch, and James Marrow.
The Edgecombe Community College Foundation is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to aid, strengthen, and further the work and services of Edgecombe Community College. A primary focus of the ECC Foundation is to provide funding for scholarships awarded to students attending the College. In 2018-2019, the ECC Foundation funded more than $100,000 in Miss North Carolina Laura Matrazzo visited Edgecombe Community College in March 2019 to present a gift of $1,250 to the ECC Foundation on behalf of the North Carolina Educational Scholarship Fund.
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Matrazzo, an advocate for financial literacy, spoke about the importance of scholarship assistance to college students. A graduate of Clemson University, she said she was able to pay off a student loan thanks to the scholarships she received from participation in the Miss America Organization.
“The future of many of your students rides on scholarships,” she said.
Following her visit, Matrazzo posted on her Miss North scholarships benefitting over 145 students. In addition to funding scholarships, the ECC Foundation sponsors the Student Ambassador program, the Keihin Endowed Faculty Chair Award, the Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Staff Award. The ECC Foundation also supports the College’s faculty and staff by providing mini-grants to
enhance educational programs and professional skills.
ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod, Miss North Carolina Laura Matrazzo, and ECC Foundation Board of Directors President Jean Bailey
Carolina Facebook page, “Edgecombe Community College rolled out the red carpet for my campus visit. We began by addressing the scholarship foundation board and presenting a check on behalf of the NC Educational Scholarship Fund. We then took a tour of the cosmetology school, early college, student resources building, and more. I also was able to snap a picture with Miss Tarboro 1980, Ann Cobb [Warren], who is now serving the school on the foundation board. Encouraging students around North Carolina has been such a highlight of this job.”
Golf Tournament Raises $30,000
The Edgecombe Community College Foundation’s 34th Annual Golf Tournament raised approximately $30,000 for student scholarships, an increase from the 2018 tournament fund-raising total of about $24,000.
The 2019 tournament was held October 10 at Maccripine Country Club in Macclesfield. Thirty-four teams competed in the tournament, which is among the largest fundraisers for student scholarships held by the ECC Foundation.
“The weather was perfect, and the golfers enjoyed themselves and played well, but the greatest outcome is the tremendous amount of funds raised through team entry fees, sponsorships, and other gifts. Every dollar will be used to fund student scholarships,” says Lynwood Roberson, executive director of the ECC Foundation.
Webb’s Lawn Service took first place in the first flight, with team members Cole Jeffreys, Tommy Tolson, Kathy Webb, and Timmy Webb.
Southern Bank was second in the first flight, played by Tommy Deal, Dudley Etheridge, Joey Etheridge, and Charlie Rose.
Franklin Bakery captured third in the first flight, with team members Brian Brantley, Joey Etheridge, Chason Ricks, and Kendall Strickland.
The Wooten Company won first place in the second flight, with team members Miles Galloway, William Larsen, Michael Matthews, and Michael Peters.
Institutional Interiors placed second in the second flight, played by team members Ricky Abrams, Mike Baskett, Tim Hill, and Scott Seymour.
In Memory of Ann and Vines Cobb came in third in the second flight, with team members Martha Cobb, Raymond Cobb, Sylvia Cobb, and Carl Warren.
Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant placed first in the third flight, with team members John Adams, Kenneth Farmer, Cornelius Staton, and Tommy Tippette.
Vidant Edgecombe Hospital came in second in the third flight, with team members Billy Barnes, Jim Bullins, Earl Marshall, and Scott Norville.
Sara Lee Frozen Bakery placed third in the third flight, played by Grover Boyd, Dave Markel, Bob Satonick, and Kevin Williams.
Corporate sponsors of the golf tournament were Keihin Carolina System Technology; Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant; DeLoatch & Hinton, PLLC; Piedmont Natural Gas; and LS Cable.
Fairway sponsors included Tempie Fuller, Hartwell’s Team, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, Providence Bank, Kanban, J. Vines and Ann Cobb Memorial Team, and Edmondson Insurance Agency.
“The ECC Foundation Golf Tournament is a win-win event for everyone,” Roberson adds. “The golfers have a great time, and ECC students are the beneficiaries. We are grateful for the support of so many, including the sponsors, golfers, and volunteers.”
An added attraction at the 2019 ECC Foundation Golf Tournament was world long drive champion Jeff Crittenden, who demonstrated his long drive skills throughout the day.
Criminal Justice Instructor Receives Teaching Award
Rick Basile, program chair of criminal justice at Edgecombe Community College, received the 2019-2020 Keihin Endowed Faculty Chair in August 2019.
The chair was endowed by Keihin Carolina System Technology (KCST) through a $100,000 gift in 2007, and it rewards excellence in teaching.
“I can’t imagine a more rewarding career than teaching, and I am immensely honored by this recognition,” Basile said in accepting the award. “KCST does so much for Edgecombe Community College, and a college and a community could not ask for a better neighbor.”
He has been a member of the ECC faculty for eight years. In addition to his role as a program chair and instructor, he advises the Criminal Justice Club and SkillsUSA.
The Keihin Endowed Faculty Chair is the highest distinction the College can bestow on a member of its faculty. As the Keihin chair holder, Basile receives $2,500 and a chair with an engraved brass nameplate. He is the thirteenth Keihin Chair holder at the College.
He was selected by a committee of ECC personnel and KCST officials from a pool of four nominees who submitted a performance portfolio, a philosophy of teaching, and an essay. Other nominees were Teresa Howell, English instructor and coordinator of the Curriculum Learning Center; Laura Otrimski, psychology instructor; and Suzi Shippen, surgical technology program chair. The Rocky Mount Rotary Club presented Edgecombe Community College with $27,000 in September 2019 to support student scholarships.
The presentation took place during a Rocky Mount Rotary Club meeting, during which Rotary leaders presented $81,000 in scholarship funds to support local students attending Edgecombe Community College, Nash Community College, and North Carolina Wesleyan College.
The funds were raised through Tackle the Tar, a 5K obstacle course race and family fun day sponsored by the Rocky Mount Rotary Club.
“Thank you for what you do and for your tremendous contribution to this community,” ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod said in accepting the gift. “It takes an entire village to educate a student, and none of the colleges can do it alone. This amazing generosity reflects your commitment to the community and its future. We are honored to have you as our partner.”
Held annually in May, Tackle the Tar has quickly grown into a major fund-raising event and a competitive obstacle race. Since the first race in 2016, the event has raised a total of $234,000 in scholarships. About 850 runners participated in this year’s race, including a team of 38 students, faculty,
Rick Basile, 2019-2020 Keihin Endowed Faculty Chair
Rocky Mount Rotary Club Presents $27,000 to ECC
and staff from Edgecombe Community College.
In September 2019, the Rocky Mount Rotary Club presented Edgecombe Community College with $27,000 to support scholarships for local students. Shown from left are (front) RM Rotary and ECC representatives Sherlock McDougald, Tamisia Lynch, Lyn Brown, Dr. Greg McLeod, Eddie Coats, Suzanne Peaden, (back) Garry Hodges, Michael Jordan, Dr. Harry Starnes, Neil Baker, Debbie Batten, Sheila Hoskins, Tara Honesty, and Kristen Brabble.
ECC Foundation Board Member Donates Historic Clock
Ronnie Ellis, a longtime friend of Edgecombe Community College and the ECC Foundation, donated an antique grandfather clock to the College in October 2019 for permanent display in the historic Norfleet House on the Tarboro campus.
Monika Fleming, program coordinator of the Historic Preservation program, estimates that the clock was built in the 1820s. The clockmaker was Seth Thomas, who began making clocks in New England in 1813.
According to Ellis, the clock was in the Wilkinson-Dozier House when Ellis’s partner, the late Earl Roberson, bought the house in the 1970s. The Wilkinson-Dozier House is located near Conetoe and was built in 1816.
“The clock was the only piece of furniture in the house when Earl bought it,” Ellis says. “We never knew when or how it came to be in Edgecombe County.”
Ellis, who serves on the ECC Foundation Board of Directors, says that donating the grandfather clock to the Norfleet House was a natural fit. “I’m donating it in memory
of Earl, but also because it just seems to fit the house,” he explains. Earl Roberson worked at ECC for 19 years.
The Norfleet House is the cornerstone of ECC’s Historic Preservation program. The 200-year-old home has been a working classroom since it was moved to the Tarboro campus in 2009. Craftsmen and Historic Preservation students restored the house.
Ellis has donated other items to the Norfleet House, including a table and chair and a blanket chest. Tarboro resident Ronnie Ellis donated a historic grandfather clock to ECC in October 2019. Shown with the clock in its new home in the Norfleet House are (from left) Dr. Greg McLeod, ECC president; Ronnie Ellis; Monika Fleming, program coordinator of Historic Preservation; and Lynwood Roberson, executive director of the ECC Foundation.
Student Ambassadors Selected
The ECC Foundation sponsors the Student Ambassador program each year to reward academic excellence. Student Ambassadors for the 2019-2020 academic year are: • Kristy Claiborne, Medical Office Administration • William Duff, Associate in Arts • Ricardo Hernandez, Associate in Arts • Maurkila Hinton, School Age Education • Bonnie Robbins, Cosmetology • Jonathan Tippette, Associate in Arts
Ambassadors must maintain a 3.25 grade point average. These students give campus tours, host campus activities, and assist with ECC Foundation activities, among other duties.
For their service, the ECC Foundation provides each Ambassador with a $500 award, a red sweater set for women and a red sweater for men, an ECC polo shirt, and an Ambassador name badge.
Jean Bailey, President Bernice Pitt, Vice President James Marrow, Treasurer
Josie Davis, Secretary
Alison Boyette, Kristen Brabble, Angela Burton, Bill Clark, William Davis, Mahlon DeLoatch, Curtis Edmondson, Ronnie Ellis, Jamilla Hawkins, Susan Hoke, Jessie Jones, Robert Ladd, Tina Parker, Charles Penny, Martha Pritcher, Eddie Stocks, Jane Thorne, Ann Warren, Ralph Webb, Margaret Anne Wooten
From left are ECC Student Ambassadors William Duff, Bonnie Robbins, Kristy Claiborne, Ricardo Hernandez, Jonathan Tippette, and Teresa Bottoms, Ambassador advisor and student counselor. Student Ambassador Maurkila Hinton was not available for the photo.
The ECC Foundation awarded scholarships to 150 students during a scholarship awards ceremony held December 12, 2019, on the Tarboro campus. Scholarships totaling $127,000 were awarded, with scholarship amounts ranging from $100 to $5,000. Shown are ECC Radiography student Bailey Lamm (left), who received the Nina W. Fountain Endowed Scholarship, and Desiree Duncan, program chair of the Radiography program. The Nina W. Fountain Endowed Scholarship was established in 2000 to honor the long service and dedication of Nina Fountain, who served as president of the ECC Foundation Board of Directors for 20 years.
In April 2019, ECC Foundation friends gathered at the Tarboro home of Billy and Margaret Anne Wooten for Springtide 2019. The annual recognition event honors donors who contribute $250 or more to the Foundation to support student scholarships. From left are ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod, Eddie Stocks, Susan Boyette, Carnell Lamm, and David Boyette.
The ECC Foundation Board of Directors welcomed new board members at a September 2019 board meeting. Clockwise from top left are Susan Hoke, Edgecombe County Public Schools; Dr. Greg McLeod, ECC president and ex officio member of the board; Kristen Brabble, First Carolina Bank; Ralph Webb, Edgecombe County commissioner; Angela Burton, Word Tabernacle Church; and Alison Boyette, Tarboro attorney. A primary focus of the ECC Foundation is to provide funding for scholarships for students attending the college. In 2018-2019, the ECC Foundation funded more than $100,000 in scholarships benefiting over 145 students.
In September 2019, leaders at Edgecombe-Martin County Electric Membership Corporation presented $1,000 to Edgecombe Community College to support student scholarships. Edgecombe-Martin EMC provides two $500 scholarships to the College annually. From left are Eddie Stocks and Winston Howell of Edgecombe-Martin EMC and Dr. Greg McLeod and Lynwood Roberson of ECC.
