Major gift announced for Northwest Arkansas Community College project

Dick Trammel walks from table to table encouraging donations Thursday during the Northwest Arkansas Community College Foundation’s annual Plant a Seed Soiree at NWACC in Bentonville.
Dick Trammel walks from table to table encouraging donations Thursday during the Northwest Arkansas Community College Foundation’s annual Plant a Seed Soiree at NWACC in Bentonville.

BENTONVILLE -- Northwest Arkansas Community College will designate half of a $3 million estate gift -- the largest of its kind in the college's history -- toward construction of its Washington County Center.

President Evelyn Jorgenson announced the gift Thursday during the college foundation's annual Plant a Seed Soiree, a fundraiser for student scholarships and other college initiatives. The $1.5 million designated for the center represents the "first lead gift" for that project, Jorgenson said.

The $3 million comes from the estate of Jackson G. and Ella Frances Byrd, who were longtime residents of Springdale. The other $1.5 million not designated for the Washington County Center will be used to provide thousands of additional scholarship dollars for nursing students beginning with the fall 2017 semester, according to a news release from the college.

The college owns 20 acres in Springdale just west of Arvest Ballpark in Springdale where it plans to build its Washington County Center. The college has developed programming and a master plan for the facility, estimated to be 50,000 square feet.

College officials have said they are aiming to raise $15 million for construction of the facility. The college in December launched the "quiet phase" of its fundraising campaign for the building as well as the college's culinary arts program.

"We have a long way to go to meet our fundraising goal, but we are committed to making this a reality," Jorgenson said of the center.

Jackson and Ella Byrd co-owned Jackson's Loading Supplies in Springdale, according to Ella Byrd's obituary. She died in 2013.

Neither Jackson nor Ella Byrd had any formal education beyond high school, but they recognized the value of education, Jorgenson said.

The foundation has developed a brochure to be distributed to potential campaign donors. The campaign is called "NWA Ripple Effect," with the tagline, "Change the landscape."

The Ripple Effect name -- including a rippling logo -- will be rolled out gradually as the campaign enters the public phase, officials have said.

The college leases space in Washington County but has never had its own facility there. About 37 percent of the college's 7,744 students last fall semester were from Washington County.

This year's soiree was the culmination of the college's 25th anniversary celebration. A video presented at the event featured interviews with those who had a role in getting the college started either as trustees, faculty members or politicians.

When the video was over, board chairman Dan Shewmaker told the audience it was the entire community that had made the college what it is today.

"When we say it's a community college, it's the truth," Shewmaker said. "Without the community that supports NWACC, we wouldn't be what we are."

Dick Trammel, a founding trustee of the college, took the microphone and led an effort to raise $20,000 in five minutes from soiree attendees for scholarships.

"Sixty percent of our students need financial help," Trammel said.

NW News on 04/29/2016

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