■ The college is closing in on raising $17 million for its new Career Technology Center thanks to a donation from Monroe Bank & Trust.
BY CHARLES SLAT
ctslat@monroenews.com
MONROE EVENING NEWS (Front Page)
Published: Friday, March 29, 2013
The nearly completed $17 million Career Technology Center at Monroe County Community College apparently is nearly paid off.
A $ 50,000 gift from Monroe Bank & Trust has pushed the capital campaign for the building to more than 85 percent of its goal, said H. Douglas Chaffin, campaign chairman and MBT president and chief executive officer.
Mr. Chaffin said that the college has raised $ 14.59 million for the facility, with $8.5 million coming from the state, $4.25 million from the college and $ 1.84 million in current campaign commitments.
The college still needs to raise another $2.41 million.
The 60,000-square-foot Career Technology Center, expected to be completed in August, will contain state- of- the- art classrooms and lab space to provide students with a range of job skills.
Before announcing the $50,000 MBT contribution, Mr. Chaffin noted the importance of local business contributions to the economic vitality and quality of life in their communities.
“Since a majority of our shareholders live, work and worship in the communities we serve, there is a close affiliation between ‘shareholder return’ and ‘community investment,’ ” he said, adding that more than 50 percent of MBT employees have graduated from or attended classes at MCCC.
“As a community bank, we have a moral and ethical obligation to be a meaningful participant in local economic development opportunities, as well as contributions to an improved quality of life for local residents and businesses,” he said in a press release.
College officials said the $ 4.25 million being contributed to the center is in line with the amounts MCCC has allocated to major capital projects since 1991.
But MCCC President Dr. David E. Nixon said backing the new building was “a bold move by the college trustees. When they made it, it was a huge commitment in tough times,” he said in the release.
He said the use of reserve funding also is bold.
“ The college is playing it real close to the wire because of the state’s dwindling resources,” he said.
“ We are constructing a $ 17 million building for the citizens of Monroe County at a 75 percent discount to the total cost,” MCCC board Chairman William J. Bacarella said. “ This is a particular point of pride for all of us. When we reach our goal, MCCC can honor our donors and celebrate that only 25 percent of the funding for the facility will have come from MCCC’s reserve fund balance, with the rest coming from the state and from our generous private donors — the individuals, foundations, businesses and industries of Monroe County.
On March 8, the DTE Energy Foundation announced a $1 million gift to the Career Technology Center capital campaign. Other major gifts have included $ 500,000 from the La- Z- Boy Foundation and $75,000 from the Michigan Gas Utilities and the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation.
In addition, about $190,000 has been generated by an internal fundraising campaign that officially kicked off three weeks ago.
More than $ 50,000 of that total has come from employee gifts and all of the members of the board of trustees, The Foundation board of directors and the alumni association board of directors have contributed.
Michael R. Meyer, chairman of The Foundation at MCCC, noted that the college still is taking donations and anyone interested can contact college officials.
