by Felecia Blow

On Aug. 23, Paul D. Camp Community College will announce the financial goal we’ve reached as we close our first Major Gifts Campaign. A victory celebration will be held at the Regional Workforce Development Center.

With a goal of $3 million, the campaign was designed to address the region’s need for a skilled and educated workforce. This celebration is not just one for the college, but for the community, too.

We’re inviting our donors and regional leaders to celebrate with us at this event, which will highlight all of the exciting activities to come through this campaign.

There are many giving options available to donors through the Paul D. Camp Community College Foundation, such as the Annual Fund, cash gifts and endowed scholarships.

When we look at the preliminary results from the Major Gifts Campaign, we see several indicators of great success: Individual gifts, targeted funding programs and grants program funding have all been critical to our efforts.

Without the assistance of several key leaders in Franklin, Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Southampton, we would not have had this success. Our campaign co-chairs were Larry Pope, CEO and president of Smithfield Foods, and Dr. Paul Conco, our college president. Additionally, our Foundation leadership has been instrumental.

Board President John Alexander “Sandy” Mann and the entire board all deserve our praise and congratulations. To see a complete list of the officers and members of our illustrious board, visit http://pdcccfoundation.org.

Those currently serving on the board and those who’ve served in previous years are to be commended for their engagement and involvement.

While the Virginia Community College System and the state can provide funding for basic operations, the types of academic opportunities and enhancements that make Paul D. Camp truly exceptional come from private resources and investors.

Through the Major Gifts Campaign, the college has developed a vision to respond to the community’s needs. In response to the best advice of business, government and civic leaders in the region, the college has identified three initiatives comprising the foundation for our “Celebrating our Future” Major Gifts Campaign.

The key pillars of the campaign were in the following three core areas:

n High-need academic and workforce program funding — The college’s ability to quickly respond to new economic development initiatives and emerging technologies is increasingly necessary. Therefore investment is needed to give the college the flexibility to develop new programs to address the needs of our region’s businesses and industries in a timely manner.

n Student access and excellence funding — Scholarships are critically important. The annual tuition at our college is less than half that of a public four-year institution. Still, college education remains out of reach for many in our communities. The majority of our students receive some form of financial aid, and it is still not enough.

n Instructional technology enhancement funding — Technology upgrades are sorely needed. Conventional wisdom indicates that computing power doubles every 18 to 24 months. Each change triggers a multitude of software upgrades that utilize added power, and in turn, increase productivity. To keep pace with ongoing changes in industry, the college’s curriculum and equipment must be updated regularly. We also must provide professional development for our faculty and staff so they remain on the cutting edge of these new technologies.

In conclusion, the generosity of each donor is to be celebrated. These contributions already are making a difference in the lives of the students, educators and the community served by the college.

If you’ve invested in the college, be on the lookout for an invitation to this wonderful event … and continue to support Paul D. Camp Community College.

FELECIA BLOW is vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the Foundation at Paul D. Camp Community College. Email her at fblow@pdc.edu.