The OTC Foundation raised $18 million for its Passion. Purpose. Promise. — The Campaign for OTC. Foundation officials and the college community celebrated the culmination of the campaign with a reception held Aug. 16 at the OTC Springfield Campus.
“Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we can continue fulfilling our mission of providing life-changing educational opportunities to students,” said Stephanie Sumners, OTC chief of staff and executive director of the OTC Foundation. “With their support, these projects and programs became a reality.”
Passion. Purpose. Promise. — The Campaign for OTC will fund several capital projects including the renovation of the Hamra Library and expansion of the Diesel Technology training facility at the OTC Springfield Campus. The expansion triples the size of training space on campus and increases program enrollment capacity by 45 percent.
Additional projects for the OTC Springfield Campus include a new Jared Family Welcome Center for prospective students, as well as, an outdoor classroom at the Lewis Family Early Childhood Education Center. The campaign also established a Registered Nursing program supported by CoxHealth at the OTC Table Rock Campus, which included the construction of a 4,000-square-foot state-of-the-art nursing lab.
“OTC has always understood the importance of responding to not only student needs but also the needs of local employers,” said Jim Towery, president of Steelman Transportation and past chair of the OTC Foundation Board of Directors. “The workforce initiatives fulfilled by this campaign are excellent examples of how OTC is helping educate and train students for high-demand careers like diesel technology and nursing.”
In addition to capital projects and improvements, nearly $3 million was raised for student scholarships. The scholarship endowments established by the campaign will provide need-based financial assistance to hundreds of OTC students annually.
“A community’s level of commitment is shown by their willingness to invest in initiatives like Passion. Purpose. Promise.,” said Chancellor Hal Higdon. “I am proud of our community’s support of OTC students, which in turn supports the critical role our college plays in southwest Missouri’s educational and economic landscape.”
The OTC Foundation, established in 1995, supports the college mission of transforming lives and strengthening our communities through securing private gifts, building partnerships and advocating for students and the college. This was the foundation’s second comprehensive capital campaign.