OTC recognizes Bill Foster for recent gift

Ozarks Technical Community College held a ceremony on Monday, December 12, to recognize Bill Foster, of the Foster Hospitality Group, with the naming of the Bill R. Foster Student Services.  Foster recently presented the OTC Foundation, the Fundraising arm of the College, with three homes north of the OTC Springfield Campus, a gift valued at nearly $300,000.  

Speakers at the ceremony included OTC Chancellor Dr. Hal Higdon, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the OTC Foundation Cliff Davis, President of the Board of Trustees J. Howard Fisk, President of the OTC Foundation Board Neal Spencer, and OTC Student Government Association representative Fran Ferguson.  Foster also spoke, expressing his appreciation for Ozarks Technical Community College.

“As we continue to grow, support from people like Mr. Foster is more valuable than ever,” said Dr. Higdon. “The naming of the Bill R. Foster Student Services will remind students for years to come of the support they have from people in their community.”

Foster has been active in business for more than 60 years, with projects ranging from designing assisted-living homes to building hotels.  The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce named Mr. Foster the Springfieldian of the year in 2009.  Recently, Mr. Foster was named Philanthropist of the Year by the Ozarks Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

“We appreciate Mr. Foster’s generosity, and his choice to give back to the community through OTC,” added Davis.  “His gift will be a great help as the College moves toward the future.”

The OTC Foundation, now in its 14th year of operation, works to meet the ever-increasing needs of Ozarks Technical Community College through the funding of scholarships, new programs, and capital improvement projects.  The current Major Gifts Capital Campaign includes efforts to raise money for scholarships, as well as for a Center for Health Education, Student Support programs, and Workforce Development.