PRESQUE ISLE – With a growth in net assets of 30 percent over the previous fiscal year and the disbursement of over $32,000 in student scholarships, the Northern Maine Community College Foundation held its 2008 annual meeting recently at the college.
The non-profit organization exists to support NMCC 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. Board members, donors, college students, alumni, faculty, and administrators, totaling nearly 90, were in attendance to celebrate another successful year for the NMCC Foundation.
“The past year has been a busy and rewarding one for the NMCC Foundation,” said Richard Engels, Foundation board chair. “In February of this year, we officially drew to a close the college’s first ever major gifts campaign, The Campaign for the County’s College. I am pleased to report that we exceeded the overall campaign goal by half a million dollars.”
A total of $2.5 million was raised over a two-year period, with the funds being used for student scholarships, equipment, and college programs.
Engels also announced current plans to formulate the groundwork for the NMCC Alumni Association. The project will be headed by Foundation board member and NMCC alumnus Gary Cleaves, who is a member of NMCC’s first graduating class.
The Foundation’s past fiscal year, which ended June 30, included scholarship fund disbursement of over $32,000, which more than doubled the previous year’s disbursement of $14,000. Other activity included partnering with TD Banknorth for the Foundation’s annual golf tournament and the Fall and Winter Sports and Recreation Show held in the fall of 2007. Both events were held again this past fall.
Four current recipients of Foundation scholarships also took part in the event. Kyle Chasse of Van Buren, an automotive technology student; Shannon Marquis of Presque Isle, a nursing student; Katherine Pictou of Presque Isle, a business administration student; and Robert Williams of Perham, a computer-aided drafting student; each explained, in touching speeches, what their scholarships meant to them.
“When my daughter told me she was not going to college because I never did, I knew I needed to act and show her how,” said Pictou. “Attending college would not have been possible without the help from those who donated to the Foundation. I hope to one day do for others what you have done for me.”
Following the remarks from the scholarship recipients, three scholarships funds which reached endowment level over the past fiscal year were recognized, including the Dickinson-McBreairty Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Machias Savings Bank Scholarship Fund, and the Peter G. Hunt Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund.
During the meeting, four local and statewide business people were elected as new members of the board: Scott Carlin of Mapleton, owner of Star City, Hillside, and Mars Hill IGAs; Chris Fitzpatrick of Houlton, regional vice president for Machias Savings Bank; Emily Smith of Presque Isle, broccoli production manager for Smith’s Farm, Inc.; and Phil Grondin Sr., retired, of Yarmouth.
Also introduced were two new student representatives to the board, Pictou and Mariah LeMieux, a residential construction student from Presque Isle. This marks the first time student representatives have been named to the Foundation board, an initiative approved at last year’s annual meeting. The object of student participation is to allow direct communication between NMCC students through the Student Senate and the Foundation board.
In addition to the six new members, the NMCC Foundation board is comprised of Gary Cleaves, general manager of the Maine Military Authority; Gregg Collins, vice president of S.W. Collins Co.; NMCC President Timothy Crowley, Lois Dickson, owner of Tempo Employment Services; Richard Engels, attorney with Bemis & Rossignol; Carl Flora, president and chief executive officer of the Loring Development Authority; Raynold Gauvin, retired, of Mapleton; Sandra Gauvin, retired, of Mapleton; Janet Grieco, English instructor at NMCC; Brian Hamel, partner with Thompson-Hamel; Virginia Joles, director of communications, board relations, and economic development at Maine Public Service; Michael Kelley Sr., executive vice president of TD Banknorth in Presque Isle; Tom Kent, retired, of Madawaska; Larry LaPlante, finance director at NMCC; Melony Hunt LeShane, account executive of H.O. Perry/United Insurance Group; Edwin Nickerson, director of business development at the Loring Development Authority; Roger Roy, executive vice president at MMG Insurance; Bruce Sandstrom, senior vice president of finance at The Aroostook Medical Center; Connie Sandstrom, executive director of the Aroostook County Action Program; Vicki Smith, vice president of marketing at Katahdin Trust Co.; Jane Towle, co-owner and broker of RE/MAX Central; Terry Wade, plant manager at Smith & Wesson; and Robert White, retired, of Caribou.
The 2009 slate of officers for the Foundation was also announced. Continuing in their current roles are: Richard Engels, chairperson; Brian Hamel, vice chairperson; Larry LaPlante, treasurer; and Lois Dickson, secretary. In addition to the executive officers, Raynold Gauvin, Bruce Sandstrom and Vicki Smith will also continue to serve on the executive board of directors.
The Foundation’s Eagle Award was presented to two individuals this year: Karen Gonya, NMCC associate director of development and college relations, who has served in many capacities for the Foundation over the past 16 years, and Sonja Fongemie of NMCC, whose most recent role was serving as campaign manager for The Campaign for the County’s College.
Contributed photo
SIX NEW MEMBERS were welcomed to the Northern Maine Community College Foundation board of directors at the 2008 annual meeting. Board chair Richard Engels, left, welcomes new board members, from left: Mariah LeMieux, NMCC residential construction student; Katherine Pictou, NMCC business administration student; Emily Smith, production manager for Smith’s Farm, Inc.; Scott Carlin, owner of Star City, Hillside, and Mars Hill IGAs; and Chris Fitzpatrick, regional vice president for Machias Savings Bank. Absent when the photo was taken was Phil Grondin Sr., retired, of Yarmouth.
Contributed photo
NMCC FOUNDATION BOARD CHAIR Richard Engels, left, and NMCC President Timothy Crowley, right, present Chris Fitzpatrick of Houlton with an award signifying the endowment of the Machias Savings Bank Scholarship Fund.
Contributed photo
RICHARD ENGELS, left, NMCC Foundation board chair and NMCC President Timothy Crowley, far right, present, from left, Sonja Fongemie and Karen Gonya, with Eagle Awards for their work with the NMCC Foundation.
Contributed photo
NORTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Foundation board chair Richard Engels, left, and NMCC President Timothy Crowley, far right, present Jane Hunt and Peter Hunt Jr. with an award signifying the endowment of the Peter G. Hunt Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund.
