OTC receives $2.6 million donation from Southern Calif. couple for new campus in Lebanon

A gift of two new facilities and surrounding property has been presented to the OTC Foundation, the fundraising arm of Ozarks Technical Community College, by Reuben and Mary Lou Casey of San Clemente, Calif., located between Los Angeles and San Diego.  The property, valued at approximately $2,600,000, will be used to establish a new campus in Lebanon, Mo.  This is the largest gift the College has ever received.

The gift is composed of two buildings and more than 13 acres of land.  It will eventually replace the Colleges existing Lebanon Education Center, as well as provide significant room for growth; the campus has the potential to serve thousands of students around southwest Missouri.

This gift will allow us to expand our offerings in Lebanon in both credit and workforce development programs, explained Dr. Hal Higdon, president of Ozarks Technical Community College.  As demand for education in the Lebanon area has continued to increase, we have encountered physical space issues.  We look forward to having the necessary facilities to meet the communitys needs.

This is the largest and most significant gift in the history of the College, and we are so appreciative to the Caseys for giving us this opportunity, said Cliff Davis, vice president for Advancement and executive director of the OTC Foundation.  The positive impact of this gift will be felt by students, employees, and the community.

One of the two new buildings will be ready to offer workforce development training in the spring of 2010; the other will open its doors for credit classes in the fall of 2010.  For a look inside the buildings and to hear more from the Caseys and Ozarks Technical Community College officials, see the video at the Colleges homepage, www.otc.edu.

The OTC Foundation is currently engaged in its first-ever Major Gifts Capital Campaign; this gift fulfills the Foundations $3 million fundraising goal for the Campaigns Workforce Development Initiative.  Other initiatives in the Campaign include:  Center for Health Education, $2 million; Student Support Programs, $2 million; and Student Scholarships, $2.5 million.