2010 filled with plenty of special moments, events

From successful fundraising to new construction projects to record enrollment, 2010 was a very busy year.

OTC Foundation exceeded its $10 million capital campaign thanks to a $100,000 gift from The Sutherland Foundation of Kansas City. Throughout the year, the Foundation received a large number of generous gifts. Some include:

• Reuben and Mary Lou Casey of San Clemente, Calif., donated two buildings in Lebanon, valued at $2.6 million, making it the largest donation in OTC’s history. The buildings will become the new home of the Lebanon Education Center.

• Springfield business icon Carol Jones donated $500,000 for scholarships and the newly named Carol Jones Writing Center.

• The CoxHealth and St. John’s Foundation for Community Health PLEDGED a total of $500,000 to create a new scholarship program for dependants of CoxHealth and St. John’s employees in OTC’s Allied Health programs.

• Glenn Larson, owner of Peterbilt of Springfield, donated $100,000 to endow the Larson Family Scholarship and also gave two trucks valued at $59,000 for the College’s Transport Training Institute.

Enrollment continued to rise at a record pace with fall 2010 enrollment up 15.9 percent; spring increased 16.6 percent and summer was up 11.7 percent.

The fall semester started with the opening of a new parking lot on the site of the old Tindle Mill, giving students hundreds of new parking spaces.

After voters in the Hollister School district approved joining the OTC district, land was purchased for the future site of an education center there.

The board also approved funding for the renovation of the new Lebanon buildings and for the addition of 10 classrooms, offices and a student study area to the second floor of the Information Commons West building on the main campus.

 “In spite of cuts to state funding and looming larger cuts from the state, OTC has served more students and served our communities in many different ways. We are grateful to all who contributed to our many successes in 2010. We look forward to having a good year in 2011,” said OTC President Hal L. Higdon.

Steve Koehler is coordinator of publications at Ozarks Technical Community College. Contact him at koehlers@otc.edu.