SkyRidge Medical Center CEO Coleman Foss conducts business at the annual Foundation meeting. Looking on are retiring Cleveland State President Dr. Carl Hite and CSCC Foundation executive director J. Adam Lowe.
This past week, the Cleveland State Community College Foundation met for the annual Board of Trustees Luncheon and heard updates on the health and progress of the Foundation. The board of trustees is made up of area leaders from the five-county service area of Cleveland State Community College.
“The Cleveland State Foundation saw significant growth in fiscal year 2012 and 2013” said CPA and CSCC Foundation auditor Mary Lay. “This Foundation is very healthy and will be able to support scholarships into the foreseeable future.”
The Foundation reports to have an endowment and investment fund that reaches $7.5 million in assets, most of which are designated toward producing student scholarships annually. This past semester, more than $240,000 was administered and every student that qualified for a scholarship received assistance.
In 2012, the CSCC Foundation set a 3-year comprehensive goal under the leadership of Executive Director J. Adam Lowe to reach over $2 million in support by 2015.
“I am proud to say that we have commitments for 86 percent of our goal,” said Mr. Lowe. “It has been an amazingly productive year, and we cannot thank our supporters enough.”
In 2013, the Foundation has funded new scholarships, helped launch the One Source Workforce Readiness Center and has helped secure grants to expand health care related studies at the college.
“In my presidential career, I can honestly say that I have not worked with a better group of people than those associated with the Cleveland State Foundation,” said retiring President Dr. Carl Hite. Dr. Hite is retiring Dec. 20, and is expected to be replaced by Dr. William Seymour, vice president of Advancement of Jackson State College. “I am certain that Dr. Seymour will be in good hands.”
In addition to the report, the trustees took up other items of business including selecting new officers for the coming year. Cleveland business leader Don Lorton was elected president and Bradley county commissioner Jeff Morelock was elected vice president. Each will replace exiting officers Coleman Foss of SkyRidge Medical and Steve Robinson of Cleveland Plywood respectively.
For more information on the Cleveland State Community College Foundation, visit www.clevelandstatecc.edu or call 423 478-6206. The CSCC Foundation is an independent 501-c3 nonprofit organization that serves Cleveland State Community College.