Alpha Data Corp. Lends Support

11/23/2003

The way Vercel Vance, president and CEO or Alapha Data Corporation, looks at the goals for his company, the new four-year degree program at OWCC is tailor-made for the information technology and software engineering firm.

"This Project and Acquisition Management degree offered right here at our corporate headquarters really gives us an advantage," said Vance. "We are always looking for ways to improve services to our customers and this program increases that potential."

That's why Alpha Data Corp. recently contributed $10,000 to the OWCC Foundation's "Shaping the Future by Degrees Campaign" that the college has untaken to provide instructional program support for the bachelor's degree program.

"Over the past year," said Vance, "We have expanded our customer base both geographically and in a disciplinary sense. That's why Project and Acquisition Management is definitely critical to our controlled growth initiatives."

"One of the last things I want to do is to achieve our growth goals and find we do not have adequately trained personnel to support that growth. Alpha Data Corporation's support of the OWCC bachelor program is one way we hope to invest in our employees and community while maintaining performance excellence."

OWCC President Dr. Bob Richburg said the financial commitment by Alpha Data Corp., "Shows us that the various tracks in this degree program can have an impact on companies of different size. It tells us that this is a level of training and education that will enable our area businesses to grow."

"We appreciate the donation that Vercel Vance and Alpha Data have made," said Richburg, after visiting the firm and noting several of the college's associate degree graduates already work for Alpha Data. "Now these individuals can stay here, learn and hopefully advance in supervisory and management positions with the company."

Richburg said Alpha Data Corp already has been recognized as the National Small Business Administration Prime Contractor of the Year and received other SBA awards. "We're pleased that they are going bring their expertise and partner with the college to make the bachelor program a success."

For information on the degree program see www.owcc.edu/bachelor.