Foundation commits first matching dollars
for major NMCC projects
PRESQUE ISLE — The first contribution to support two major projects at Northern Maine Community College, made possible through a $5 million private gift announced earlier this month, has come from The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges (FMCC).
The organization — dedicated to ensuring that the state’s community colleges have the resources they need to provide a high quality, affordable and accessible college education for Maine people — has committed $300,000 to NMCC. The funds come from the many donors — including Maine businesses, statewide foundations and private individuals — who have made unrestricted gifts to the Campaign for Maine’s Community Colleges.
“Contributions from these donors will make a difference in the lives of many current and future students at NMCC, and around the state, who will benefit from the improvements to the NMCC campus,” said former Gov. John R. McKernan Jr., chair of the FMCC board.
A $5 million gift from Mary Barton Akeley Smith, announced by the NMCC Foundation Feb. 8, will provide the lion’s share of the $6 million needed to renovate and repurpose two existing facilities at the local campus.
The $300,000 contribution from The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges will help finance the necessary design and architectural work that begins immediately before construction on the project.
“The support of The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges and the donors who made this gift possible is greatly appreciated,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “With this gift, the support of our own NMCC Foundation moving forward and other generous donors who we will be approaching in the coming weeks and months, these two transformative projects will come to life on our campus and — in turn — assist greatly in our efforts to create a healthier and more competitive workforce for The County and state.”
To ensure both facilities best meet the needs of intended users, the college has formed an advisory group to work with the architect designing the plans. The committee has representation from the NMCC student body, alumni, college employees and community members. Mary Smith has agreed to serve on the group and will travel from California to Presque Isle to take part in the first meeting.
The Campaign for Maine’s Community Colleges was launched in 2010 to raise a minimum of $10 million to support the continued growth of the state’s seven community colleges.
