OWC, Community Rely on Each Other to Make More Possible; Foundation Provides More Than $1.3 Million in Support to College

02/02/2007

NICEVILLE - Hailing the reliance and collaboration between Okaloosa-Walton College and the community that has increased educational opportunities, the OWC Foundation saluted its benefactors at its 19th annual meeting and dinner Friday night February 2 in The Arts Center.

From the evening's special celebration of contributors who have established endowed teaching chairs for instructional programs to recognition of the more than 300 scholarships created by individual and community donors, OWC Foundation president Dale Rice Jr. said the generosity to the college "reinforces the reliance, the faith and the trust we share with each other."

"We really do rely on each and there can be little doubt how this community relies on this college whether it's scholarships, our nursing and health programs, the cultural arts or bachelor degrees for business and industry," Rice told the crowd of more than 300 on the stage of The Arts Center in Niceville. "This reliance is a symbiotic relationship because it takes two actions in concert with one another to happen."

Rice, who has led the OWC Foundation for the past two years and is president of First National Bank of Crestview, could not avoid his obvious delight at the $8.1 million for the OWC Mattie Kelly Cultural and Environmental Institute made possible by the recent closing of the sale of a portion of the Foundation owned Kelly property in Destin. "It's the largest gift in the foundation's history and one I hope my successor will beat soon," said Rice, in an aside to incoming president Lori Kelley of O'Sullivan Creel CPA.

In noting other major accomplishments in the past year, Rice said he has been "personally humbled by so many contributions." He noted the examples of the trust gift from the late Donald Gallimore of Fort Walton Beach for OWC's nursing and health programs, the major donation to create the Allyn Donaldson Jr. Entrepreneurial Institute, the continued generosity of Maj. Gen. Kelly and Denny Burke and that of Fred Thomas and his staff at Thomco Enterprises. Such donations enabled the OWC Foundation assets to grow to more than $27 million in 2006 and enabled the foundation to provide more than $1.3 million in direct support back to the college.

Rice took special notice of two of the 17 endowed teaching chair contributors who were honored Friday night. "As an athlete myself , it is great to see the Elizabeth Shwiller Teaching Chair in Women's Athletics," said Rice, "and Fred LaRoche has created a legacy for his parents in the James and Christian LaRoche Chair in Literature. There will be others who will establish more teaching chairs. That is why I urge you to rely on OWC to deliver, to do the right thing, and to remain deeply a part of the community we serve. Then, let the college rely on you for your financial support."

Dr. Bob Richburg, OWC president, said the evening was a "triple celebration" of events in which the OWC Foundation and the community have had a direct impact. "It's the 10th anniversary of this marvelous Arts Center in which the foundation and you had a very active role," said Richburg. "We also celebrate completion of the Robert Greene Jr. Science Building from the gift by Marie Greene of Shalimar. The third part of our celebration is the endowed teaching chair benefactors we have honored tonight."

Wondering if there was a "quadruple play" in baseball, Richburg said he must add the end of the Kelly Estate legal saga and "how our college will move forward to make Mattie's wish for a vibrant cultural and environmental institute a reality through two more endowed teaching chairs in music and the environmental sciences, 40 fine and performing arts scholarships, and other activities through the OWC Mattie Kelly Institute."

"We are truly looking forward in many respects tonight because your contributions enable us to keep looking forward," said Richburg. "We look forward to the expanded work of the Kelly Institute. We look forward to constructing the Community Services Complex with our Okaloosa County Commission partners, and we are looking forward to breaking ground on the new OWC South Walton Center. We also look forward in expectation of approval by the Department of Education soon for our next bachelor degree in teaching education."

Richburg then took special notice of the college's loss of Frances Herron in 2006. "Frances never missed a foundation annual meeting because she was a part of this place, this college and part of all of us," said Richburg, who asked the audience to participate in an effort to name the Frances Herron Dance Studio in The Arts Center after the late OWC instructor "because a little bit of Frances will always dance on this stage."

In taking over as foundation president, Lori Kelley of Niceville observed colleges like OWC "have an extraordinary effect on peoples' lives. We are rescuing people from difficult personal and financial situations. We are rescuing those individuals whose lives are in career transition. We are also giving to those who need to rescue us by giving a career ladder to firefighters and EMTs to become paramedics or nurses."

Joining Kelley as new foundation officers are vice president Gloria Frazier of ERA American Realty of Shalimar, Secretary Wayne Campbell, CEO of Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Treasurer Wayne Bodie of Florida Transformer in DeFuniak Springs. Elected as a new board member is attorney Lamar Conerly of Destin while former directors elected as emeritus directors are Janet Campbell of DeFuniak Springs and Cloyce Darnell of Shalimar.