Lead gift contributors and outstanding alumni were honored by North Central Missouri College at the fourth annual Gala on Saturday night at the Ketcham Community Center.
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Dr. Albert and Mrs. Vera Cross, Nanette Carter and the state of Missouri and Gov. Matt Blunt were each recognized for contributing $100,000-plus to the “Invest in the Vision” fundraising campaign this past year. NCMC Director of Development Steve Maxey made the announcement and honored each of them individually for their involvement in helping the college reach its goal of $7 million in 2007.
This was the second such donation that Dr. and Mrs Cross have made to the fundraising effort, having been recognized as one of the lead contributors when the campaign began three years ago. Maxey noted that the Crosses have been instrumental in jumpstarting the efforts to build the new allied health facility, on which construction is expected to begin by the end of the year. A co-chairman of the fundraising efforts, Dr. Cross was quoted as saying he realizes the importance of supporting the hometown community college and plans to continue that support well into the future.
A former instructor at NCMC and Trenton High School, Mrs. Carter is a longtime supporter of the college and has provided thousands of dollars annually in support of women’s athletics. She and her late husband, Warren, established scholarships in 1998 and while she continues to be a strong athletic backer, she has focused her vision on the allied health facility, having designated her latest contribution for that purpose. She was recognized by Maxey as being among the college’s “best supporters.”
The Lewis and Clark Initiative will be providing NCMC with $2 million for the allied health facility, funds which are expected to be in the hands of the college by the end of the month. Maxey noted the many hours of work put in by local and state legislators – in particular Rep. Jim Whorton and Sen. Brad Lager – as well as the work of the college’s own president, Dr. Neil Nuttall, in assuring that NCMC would benefit from the goals of the initiative. Gov. Matt Blunt also received special thanks for his development and continued support of the initiative, recognizing the important role that community colleges play in the state of Missouri.
Maxey also hinted at other funds that could be coming to NCMC in the very near future which will also help with the allied health project. Dr. Nuttall, in his remarks, stated that if the funding is received, the college would not have to bond itself for the building to be constructed.
Four individuals and one couple were recognized as distinguished alumni of NCMC, honored for their contributions to the growth of the college. They included Dr. John Holcomb of Trenton, who currently serves as vice president of the Board of Trustees; Phil Schlarb of Trenton, a retired dean emeritus of the college; Dr. Lester Skaggs of Chicago, IL, instrumental in development of the atomic bomb during World War II; Don and Letha Woodard of Trenton, graduates who continue to support the college both personally and financially; and Dr. Mark Foster St. Claire, a veterinarian who is Director of the Laboratory Animal Resources Section of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease. Dr. Foster St. Claire was unable to attend and was represented by his mother, Jean Foster, and sister, Allison Dudley.
In remarks at the conclusion of the program, Dr. Nuttall noted that while the college has reason to celebrate, it still has a way to go, having set a goal of $10 million in contributions and/or pledges by 2010. He challenged those in attendance to “invest in the future” and thanked those who have helped NCMC in the past and continue to support the college as it moves forward.
“Each year we get stronger,” Dr. Nuttall said. “It takes a whole family and if we continue to work together, we will have a allied health building, we will have a remodeled Geyer Hall, we will have a new ag campus and we will increase enrollment two fold by 2010.”
Marian Goodin, English instructor at NCMC, served as the mistress of ceremonies for the evening. Entertainment was presented by Trenton High School freshman Alexandria Bain, who played the violin, and former Trenton resident Kimberly Jackson Carballo, who played the piano.