Tag Archives: foundation

by

Prayers & Poinsettias to Host Food & Arts Festival in Pottstown

by Diane VanDyke

Enjoy an afternoon of art, food and music at Prayers & Poinsettias’ annual Food and Arts Festival at Montgomery County Community College on Sunday, Aug. 5, from noon to 4 p.m. at the College’s North Hall Fine Arts Gallery, West Campus, 16 W. High Street, Pottstown.

Several local businesses, including Java’s Brewin’, Positively Pasta, Ice House Steaks & Pizza, Bause Catered Events, Sweet Beginnings Restaurant & Catering, Milkman Lunch Co. & Cake Shoppe, Little Italy Pizzeria, Rita’s Water Ice, Moyer’s Homemade Goodies, Cutillo’s Restaurant and the Weak Knee Home Brewing Supplies Inc., will be serving samples of their specialties.  The StoneHearth Bluegrass Band will be entertaining the crowd.

While guests enjoy the food and music, they are invited to participate in a silent auction. More than 30 pieces local artwork and several gift certificates from area businesses will be available as part of the auction. Univest Corporation is a presenting sponsor of the event.

Prayers and Poinsettias, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization, was founded by Mary Beatty of Barto, an Montgomery County Community College alumna. Prayers and Poinsettias’ mission is to provide scholarship funds to children whose mothers suffer with breast cancer. Proceeds from the event will benefit students attending the College.

Tickets can be purchased for $10 in advance or $15 at the door. To purchase tickets, visit www.prayersandpoinsettias.org.

For more information, contact Mary Beatty at 610-754-1374 or email prayersandpoinsettias@gmail.com or visit “PrayersandPoinsettias” on Facebook.

by

Trustee Brandon Recognized for Service to Foundation

Chairman D'Aniello makes a presentation to Trustee Brandon. Photo by Alana J. Mauger

Geoffrey Brandon, member of the College’s Board of Trustees, was recognized during the Board’s October meeting by Chairman Michael D’Aniello for his nine years of service to the College’s Foundation Board of Directors, including several years as Chairman.

Trustee Brandon has more than 23 years of experience in the financial services industry. He currently serves as a senior vice president with TD Bank. Among his many professional and volunteer affiliations, Mr. Brandon is a director and past president for the Triangle Club of Montgomery County, a President’s Council member for Gwynedd Mercy College, an Advisory Board member for the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame, and a coach with the Lower Perkiomen Little League.

Brandon was appointed the College’s Board of Trustees by the Montgomery County Commissioners earlier this year.

by

Foundation Elects New Officers, Welcomes New Member

by Diane VanDyke

The College’s Foundation is pleased to announce its 2011 officers elected during the Board’s monthly meeting in June. The new officers are as follows:

Chairperson: Barry Stoltzfus, Souderton
Vice Chairperson: Elmer “Bud” Hansen, Blue Bell
Secretary/Treasurer:  Dolores M. Lare, Harleysville

Barry Stoltzfus, Executive Vice President of Wealth Management and Trust, Univest Corporation, Souderton, was elected to a one-year term as the Chairperson of the Foundation. Mr. Stoltzfus previously served as vice president and served as secretary/treasurer.

Elmer “Bud” Hansen III, of Hansen Properties, Blue Bell, was elected to a one-year term as Vice Chairperson of the Foundation. Mr. Hansen previously served as the nominating chair for the past two years.

Dolores M. Lare, Chief Operating Officer of Continental Bank, Plymouth Meeting, was re-elected to serve another one-year term as the Secretary/Treasurer.

The Board also welcomed Joseph W. Gallagher, President and CEO of Gallagher Fluid Seals Inc., King of Prussia, to a three-year term.

The Board honored outgoing Chairperson, Geoffrey Brandon, Regional Vice President, TD Bank, King of Prussia, with a special gavel presentation. Mr. Brandon completed his service to the Board and has recently been appointed by the Montgomery County Commissioners to serve as a member of the College’s Board of Trustees. The Board salutes Mr. Brandon’s continued service to the College and congratulates him on his new leadership position with the College.

The Foundation is the designated tax-exempt, charitable arm of the College. The Foundation’s purpose is to raise private funds to assist the College in developing programs, facilities, and services to enhance and enrich student life and to maintain a tradition of educational excellence.

For more information about the Foundation or how to contribute to the College, visit www.mc3.edu/giving.

by

Edward J. Furman Appointed to Foundation Board of Directors

by Diane VanDyke

The College’s Foundation recently welcomed Edward J. Furman, CPA, to its Foundation Board of Directors.

Furman, a partner in the Oaks office of the accounting firm Maillie, Falconiero & Company LLP, works in the firm’s Governmental and Not-for-Profit Services Department and Quality Control Department.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Drexel University, Furman started his career as a certified public accountant in 1976. He works with a variety of clients ranging from start-up businesses to large multi-national corporations. He specializes in real estate, manufacturing and local government.

He also serves as an instructor in accounting and auditing in the firm’s in-house continuing professional education program. He is a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants.

As an active community member, Furman served on the Towamencin Township Board of Supervisors, Infrastructure Authority, and Zoning Hearing Board and served as Township auditor. Additionally, he served as Township auditor for Whitpain Township and as Chairman of Wissahickon School District’s Act 1 Local Tax Study Commission.

Also, the Montgomery County Commissioners appointed Furman to serve a two-year term on the County’s Waste Reduction and Fiscal Controls Committee. He was involved with the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials GASB 34 Task Force to develop a step-by-step manual to implement this financial reporting requirement.

by

Lynn Utter to Present Keynote at Annual Leading Women Symposium & Golf Experience

Lynn Utter, President and COO of Knoll, North America

The College will celebrate women’s leadership in the workplace with its 7th Annual Leading Women Symposium and Golf Experience on Thursday, June 2, at the Blue Bell Country Club.

Proceeds from this annual event benefit the College’s Foundation in its support of career and leadership development programs for women.

The day begins at 10:30 a.m. with a brunch symposium featuring keynote speaker Lynn M. Utter, the President and COO of Knoll North America. During her career, Ms. Utter held a variety of leadership positions with major corporations. She is also a fellow of the Henry Crown leadership program at The Aspen Institute and serves on the Center for Work-Life Policy’s Hidden Brain Drain Task Force.

For the Symposium, experienced golfers are invited to play in the Leading Women Invitational at 1 p.m. Teams will compete in an 18-hole, informal team scramble.

In addition to the scramble, the event includes a “Learning Women” program—an introduction to the game for new or beginner golfers. Players will receive basic game training by noted PGA and LPGA teaching professionals.

In conjunction with the Symposium and Golf Invitational, the Woman-Owned Business Network will be holding a Business Expo featuring the businesses, products and services of the various members.  The symposium concludes with a cocktail reception and awards banquet at 4:30 p.m.

Each year, the Leading Women Symposium and Golf Experience hosts more than 130 business women in the greater Philadelphia area, offering a networking opportunity to reach decision-makers and potential clients.

A variety of corporate sponsorship opportunities are still available. For information about sponsorship opportunities or to reserve your spot at this event, visit www.mc3.edu/lw or contact Debra Khateeb at 215-641-6534 or dkhateeb@mc3.edu.

by

Foundation Appoints Three New Board Members

by Diane VanDyke

The College’s Foundation has appointed three new members to its Foundation Board:  Richard “Rick” D. Cottom, CPP; Carol A. Crisci, Esquire; and Maureen Thompson.

Established in 1983, the Montgomery County Community College Foundation supports the College’s mission by securing funds through donations from alumni, parents, community friends, private foundations, and corporations. These funds are used for student scholarships, emergency funds for students, cultural activities on campus and other college programs and activities.

Rick Cottom

Rick Cottom is the owner and CEO/President of Sovereign Security LLC, Philadelphia, since 2004 and is a Board Certified Protection Professional. He has more than 25 years of security expertise both in the private and public sectors. He was formerly the Director of Safety and Security at the Community College of Philadelphia and the Senior Associate Vice President of the Department of Public Safety at Drexel University.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Law Enforcement Administrators and on the Executive Committee of the Delaware Valley Campus Security Directors Association, Rick is an active member of several security and law enforcement professional organizations.

Carol Crisci

Carol Crisci, Esquire, is an attorney with The Chartwell Law Offices LLP, in its Valley Forge office.  She concentrates her practice in workers’ compensation and appellate practice, in a variety of administrative law and civil matters, before the higher courts of the Commonwealth. She has more than 15 years of appellate practice experience and started her legal career working for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

Prior to her legal career, Carol worked as a chemist and in the finance department of McNeil Consumer Products, a division of Johnson & Johnson. She is actively involved with the Montgomery County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia PGA Junior Golf Association and of the College’s Leading Women Golf Committee.

Maureen Thompson

Maureen Thompson, of Lansdale, is a longtime advocate and supporter of Montgomery County Community College. She served on the Alumni Board of Directors from 2002-09 and was the Board’s Chairperson from 2006-09. During that time, she led alumni to participate in Habitat for Humanity, Wissahickon Stream Clean-Up and the College’s Community Day. This year, she served as Race Director for the Alumni Association’s inaugural 5K Alumni Run.

Maureen was co-president of Phi Theta Kappa and graduated from the College Magna Cum Laude in 1989 with an associate’s degree in Elementary Education. She then attended Temple University where she earned her bachelor’s degrees in History and Women’s Studies and is currently earning her master’s degree in Temple’s Graduate History program. She was recently inducted into the College’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Maureen and her husband Bill actively participated in the Courage to Create Campaign, which supports the Fine Arts program at the College.

For more information about the Foundation or how to contribute to the College, visit www.mc3.edu/giving.

by

‘Salute to Excellence’ Event Celebrates Academic Excellence and Philanthropic Spirit

Michael S. Rosa Memorial Scholarship recipient Tia Maute-DeMatteo (center) of Gilbertsville, stands with donors Steve and Judy Rosa, who provide a scholarship to an MCCC student each year in memory of their son. Steve also serves on the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Photos by John Welsh

by Alana J. Mauger

In celebration of scholarship and philanthropy, the Montgomery County Community College Foundation recognized more than 300 donors, students and their families during its annual Salute to Excellence reception on Nov. 9. During the 2010-2011 academic year, 143 students received $178,285 from 77 scholarship funds—the most in the Foundation’s history.

College President Dr. Karen A. Stout explained the necessity of making scholarship funds available to the more than 25,000 credit students who enroll at the College annually.

“Most of our students juggle work, family and school. Scholarships provide the necessary dollars for them to focus on their studies,” she said.

The number of students who require financial assistance to enroll at MCCC has increased 50 percent since 2005.

Pictured with College President Dr. Karen A. Stout, Business major Jessica Judyski is the recipient of the President's Scholarship and the West Campus Scholarship.

“To date, the College has awarded over $38 million in financial aid to 5,342 students for this fall—an increase of 27 percent over last year,” said Dr. Stout. “Even with these increases, our students have a total unmet financial need of $24 million.”

Two student speakers, Tia Maute-DeMatteo and Justeix Collins Croppers, set the tone for the evening by sharing their stories and expressing thanks to all of the donors in attendance.

“I am here today to express my gratitude for receiving the Michael Rosa Memorial Scholarship,” said DeMatteo, who was recently accepted into the College’s Nursing program for the spring 2011 semester. “My family endured some challenges and I never knew exactly how I would pay for my education or if I would attend college at all.”

She explained that working fewer hours is critical to her educational success in the Nursing program.

“Receiving a scholarship literally means that I can work less hours and devote more time to my studies, enabling me to keep my grades up while maintaining my responsibilities as a mother, wife, employee and student,” she said.

Twenty-six-year-old Education major Justeix Collins Croppers described the journey that brought him to the College. He is the recipient of the Joseph David Prosser Memorial Scholarship for Returning Students.

Education major Justeix Collins Croppers described the journey that brought him to the College at age 26, when he began taking evening classes part-time. After being laid off from his job as a belt fabricator, he enrolled full-time the following spring.

“That semester, I earned a 3.3 GPA, giving me the opportunity to apply for a scholarship. This was something that did not seem real to me at the time,” he said. “The Joseph David Prosser Memorial Scholarship for Returning Students has given me the confidence to come out of my shell and get involved.”

Croppers now serves as the president of the College’s African-American Student League, and he participates in the Minority Male Mentoring Program, where he is mentored by a member of the College’s staff and in turn mentors Norristown High School students through the Trio Upward Bound program.

“I’m going to take full advantage of this opportunity and stay focused and steadfast in my quest to become a middle school teacher with the overall dream of starting a young men’s academy in Norristown some day,” he said.

Mr. Art Loeben is pictured with Arthur Loeben Earth Science Scholarship recipient Michelle Wallace (left) and Billijoe Loeben in Music Scholarship recipient Brittney Schafer (center).

Foundation Board Chairman Geoff Brandon served as the emcee for the evening, introducing each of the scholarship recipients and their donors. Scholarship sponsors include corporate and community organizations, individuals, alumni, and current and retired faculty and staff.

Citing the alumni donors in attendance as an example, Dr. Stout challenged the scholarship recipients to someday “pay it forward,” investing in other students’ futures the way someone invested in theirs.

Several years after he was issued the same challenge, 2005 graduate Ken Mont did just that.

“I received the Brian S. Damms Memorial Scholarship when I attended here,” said Mont. “When my grandmother passed away, we established this scholarship in her memory. The scholarship is for an adult returning to college, like I was.”

Vice President for Information Technology Celeste Schwartz stands with recipient of the Fred and Rocky Barbone Memorial Scholarship Sheela Devnath.

Mont is nearing the completion of his master’s degree, at which time he will begin working toward a doctorate. His goal is to become an English professor at the College.

Porter Bush, district manager for the College’s food vendor CulinArt, describes his company’s commitment to providing an annual student scholarship.

“It’s important to develop good relationships and mentor students. It’s what we should do in both business and life,” he said.

Before adjourning for the evening, Dr. Stout thanked the donors for investing in our community’s future with a call to action.

Brian S. Damms Memorial Scholarship recipient John Medrano (center) is pictured with his donors Jeffry and Aaron Damms.

“Keep investing in Montgomery County Community College and our students; consider increasing the annual gift to your scholarship fund; and spread the word to your friends who may also want to invest in us.”

For more information about student scholarships and other giving opportunities at Montgomery County Community College, visit www.mc3.edu/giving or email the Foundation at giving@mc3.edu.

by

Celebrate Alumni Success at Hall of Fame Induction

Tickets are still available for the annual Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 1 in the Advanced Technology Center a the Central Campus. The event begins with a light hors d’oeuvres reception at 6 p.m. The awards presentation begins at 7 p.m. and is followed by a dessert reception. Tickets cost $25 and are available online at www.mc3.edu/alumni.

The 2010 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees are:

Andrew Bender – ’96
Author and Supporter of the Arts Volunteer

David W. Duffy – ’88
Chief of Police, Upper Gwynedd Township

Dr. Tracy L. Reinhart – ’93
Dentist

Rev. Patti Thomas – ’01
Pastor, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sellersville

Maureen Thompson – ’89
Former Chair, Alumni Association Board