NMCC assets exceed $1M marker

    PRESQUE ISLE – With a growth in net assets of 60 percent over the previous fiscal year, and in celebration of surpassing the $1 million mark for the first time in history, the Northern Maine Community College Foundation held its 2007 annual meeting recently at the College.     The non-profit organization exists to support the NMCC campus community by raising and managing student scholarship funds and other special initiatives that assist students in reaching their goals of attaining a post-secondary degree at the county College.
    Seventy-five board members, donors, college students, alumni, faculty and administrators were in attendance to celebrate the increase in pledges and investments.
    “This past year has been a busy and rewarding one for the NMCC Foundation. In February of this year, we launched the college’s first ever major gifts campaign – ‘The Campaign for the County’s College,’” said Raynold Gauvin, Foundation board chair. “It is a huge leap from dreaming about the concept, to actually building on the endowment to finance the future – the groundwork of which had already been laid by our strong backing of donors who, prior to the Campaign, had established our dozens of existing scholarship funds.”
    The Foundation’s past fiscal year, which ended June 30, included disbursement of over $14,000 in student scholarship money, and other activity included a successful partnering with TD Banknorth for the Foundation’s annual golf tournament and auction that raised just over $22,000.
    “The beneficiaries of the long list of accomplishments of the NMCC Foundation are students,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “Every student at NMCC has been impacted either by a project provided through the major gifts campaign or scholarship support. As our campaign achieves its goal, we have not only changed the lives of students, but we have changed the way the community sees the county’s College. NMCC is a solid investment in the future of Aroostook County.”
    Crowley’s remarks were followed by Director of Development and College Relations Jason Parent, who spoke briefly about the “County’s College.”
    “The county views us as their college in terms of what we espouse and how we meet their needs. With only four months left in this major gifts campaign, and as we look forward to celebrating achieving and exceeding the goal of raising $2 million, we are simultaneously changing the way the college and the NMCC Foundation are viewed by the community,” said Parent. “The wonderful work of our students, faculty and staff, coupled with the efforts extended for this campaign, have provided the wonderful opportunities to share the NMCC and NMCC Foundation story. The NMCC story is truly that of its students. They are why we are all here and why every one of us who works at the ‘County’s College’ comes to work each day.”
    Three recipients of foundation scholarships also took part in the event. Kelley McLaughlin of Presque Isle, a nursing student; Justin McBreairty of Caribou, a precision metals manufacturing student; and Patrick Beaulieu of Fort Fairfield, a plumbing and heating student, each explained what their scholarships meant to them. During dinner, NMCC business administration student Alyssa Snow and 2007 liberal studies graduate Michaele Black impressed the crowd with their violin and piano playing.
    Following the remarks from the scholarship recipients, Foundation and Institutional Advancement Assistant Angela Berry-Thompkins announced that over the past fiscal year, three scholarships reached endowment level, including the Belinda Sewell Page Memorial Scholarship, the Sturdivant Island Tuna Tournament Charitable Foundation Scholarship, and the TD Banknorth Scholarship.
    “On behalf of the Foundation, we are very honored and thankful to recognize these three scholarships and donors. Thanks to their kindness and generosity, NMCC students will directly benefit from these three scholarships for years to come,” said Berry-Thompkins.
    During the meeting, six local business people were elected as new members of the board: Paul Cyr of Presque Isle, owner of Hiperfax, Inc.; Virginia Joles of Presque Isle, communications director for Maine Public Service; Tom Kent, retired of Madawaska; Melony LeShane of Fort Fairfield, account executive for H.O. Perry & Son Co.; Jane Towle of Presque Isle, co-owner of REMAX Central; and Jan Greico of Perham, NMCC English and Communications instructor.
    In addition to the six new members, the NMCC Foundation board is comprised of Gary Cleaves, general manager of the Maine Military Authority in Limestone; NMCC President Timothy Crowley, Lois Dickson, owner of Tempo Employment Service of Presque Isle; Raynold Gauvin, retired of Mapleton; Sandra Gauvin, retired of Mapleton; Michael Kelley, executive vice president of TD Banknorth in Presque Isle; Larry LaPlante, finance director of NMCC; Gregg Collins, vice president of S.W. Collins Co.; Carl Flora, president and CEO of the Loring Development Authority; David Raymond, Humanities instructor at NMCC; and Edwin Nickerson, director of business development at the Loring Development Authority.
    Also on the NMCC Foundation Board are: Roger Roy, executive vice president at MMG Insurance of Presque Isle; Bruce Sandstrom, senior vice president of finance at The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle; Connie Sandstrom, executive director of the Aroostook County Action Program in Presque Isle; Vicki Smith, vice president of marketing at Katahdin Trust Co. in Houlton; Terry Wade, plant manager at Smith and Wesson in Houlton; Burpee Wagner, retired of Perth-Andover, New Brunswick; and Robert White, trade instructor at NMCC.
    A moment of silence was observed in memory of Foundation board member Peter Hunt Sr., who passed away earlier this year.
    The 2008 slate of officers for the Foundation was also announced. Assuming their roles effective March 1, 2008 will be: Richard Engels, chairperson; Brian Hamel, vice chairperson; Larry LaPlante, treasurer; and Lois Dickson, secretary. In addition to the executive officers, Bruce Sandstrom and Vicki Smith were elected to the Executive Board of Directors. Outgoing Chairperson Raynold Gauvin was honored with a plaque and thanked for his years of service and dedication to the Foundation.
    The Foundation’s Eagle Award was presented to Gary Cleaves, Foundation executive board director and general manager of Maine Military Authority, for the impact he has had on the foundation.