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2014-2015 endowed chairs

Congratulations to the 35 tenured faculty members who have been awarded a 2014 – 2015 Valencia Foundation Endowed Chair for Learning Leadership.

The Endowed Chairs for Learning Leadership program recognizes and promotes academic excellence at the College through honoring outstanding members of Valencia’s teaching faculty. In contrast to endowed chair programs at four-year institutions that aim to attract preeminent researchers, our program recognizes and supports Valencia faculty by providing resources needed for the advancement of instruction.
 Jean Marie Fuhrman: Freeda Foreman Chair in Collaborative and Creative Problem-Solving

Richard Gair: Abe and Tess Wise Endowed Chair in the Study of the Shoah

Yolanda Gonzalez: Howard L. Palmer Chair in Foreign Languages
 
Albert Groccia: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Chair in Mathematics

Mayra Holzer: Patricia Havill Whalen Chair in Social Sciences

Brian Macon: Lockheed Martin Chair in Mathematics

Kevin Mulholland: University Club of Orlando Chair in Humanities

Robin Poole: Wayne Densch Chair in Geriatrics

Lana Powell: John and Florence MacLeod Chair in Business

Jeremy Russo: Bank of America Chair in Business Management

Dimas Sanchez: Bank of America Chair in Business
 
Richard Sansone: Sue Luzadder Chair in Communications

Brenda Schumpert: Lockheed Martin Chair in Science

Irina Struganova: Lester N. Mandell Chair in Natural and Physical Sciences

 Category II Recipients:
Joan Alexander: University Club of Orlando Chair in Advanced Computer Technology

Irma Berner Bell: South Chair in Communications and Engineering Technology

Karen Cowden: William C. Demetree Jr. Foundation Chair in Education for Special Needs
 
Suzette Dohany: Walt Disney World Chair in Film Technology
 
Edie Gaythwaite: Harry J. and E. Mary Hobbs Teaching Chair in Nursing

Lisa Gray: Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Free Enterprise

Heith Hennel: SunGard Endowed Teaching Chair in Computer Science
 
Deymond Hoyte: Valencia Foundation Board Chair for Interdisciplinary Studies

James Inglis: Central Florida Hotel and, Lodging Association Chair in Hospitality Management

Chris Klinger: Tupperware Corporation Chair in Community Quality

Adrian Manley: Valencia Foundation Board Chair for Interdisciplinary Studies

James McDonald: Cliff and Daisy Whitehill Chair in Legal Studies
 
Sarah Melanson: Rhymer F. Maguire Jr. Endowed Chair in Communications

Bonnie Oliver: SunTrust Chair in Economic Development and, Business Education
 
Pierre Pilloud: Hunton Brady Architects Endowed Chair in Hospitality Management

Yasmeen Qadri: Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Education for the Physically Challenged
 
Craig J. Rapp: Central Florida Restaurant Association Chair in Restaurant and Food Service Management
 
Andrew Ray: Hubbard Construction Company Chair in Technical and Engineering Programs

Jolene Rhodes: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Teaching Chair

Suzanne Salapa: Universal Orlando Chair in Arts and Entertainment

Pamela Sandy: Ira Vinson Henderson Chair in Nursing and, Allied Health

Valencia employees share “Why I Give Where I Work”

Valencia employees make a big difference in our student’s lives!

Many Valencia College employees support students inside and outside the classroom. It was Sir Winston Churchill that said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

There are many reasons to contribute to Valencia Foundation, below are a few Valencia employees  who shared “Why I Give Where I Work.”

	Gustavo Morales, professor, geology, West Campus: I give because I like to support all the fantastic work my colleagues do.
	James Thomas, professor, English, East Campus: I give because I know exactly where my money goes: to help deserving students.
	Laurie Youngman, manager, employee support: I give because I believe in Valencia’s mission and want to show how strongly.
	Donna Sovern, administrative assistant in the math office on Osceola Campus: I give because Valencia is a community of helpers, and I love helping our students.

Share your passion for learning and student success! Help our faculty and staff support those students who need it most. Please visit http://www.VALENCIA.org and click on Make a Donation.

You can join the team of almost 300 Valencia colleagues and give today. Simply complete the Payroll Deduction form to start your giving legacy.

If you have questions or would like more information on how you can support the “Why I Give Where I Work” campaign, contact Diana Ciesko, professor, psychology, or Josh Murdock, instructional designer — the Faculty and Staff Giving Committee Chairs, or Donna Marino, CFRE, manager, donor stewardship.

Want to share why you give to Valencia College? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

“Why I Give Where I Work” is a part of the faculty and staff giving campaign that was designed by a team of Valencia employees and honors the commitment of faculty and staff to student success while seeking to provide additional resources for faculty, staff and students who work together to realize educational goals. This campaign is focused on sharing the good work of the Valencia Foundation and encouraging faculty and staff participation based on individual interest and willingness to contribute. A faculty or staff member should not, at any time, feel pressured or compelled to give to the foundation.

Oenophiles, wine aficionados and spirit connoisseurs : Taste for Learning May 17th is for you!

An evening of food, wine and spirits paired with an auction to benefit scholarships and medical education.

An evening of food, wine and spirits paired with an auction to benefit scholarships and medical education.

Save the date! Taste for Learning is scheduled for May 17, 2014. All oenophiles, wine aficionados and spirit connoisseurs welcome.

For those who are new to Taste for Learning, this is an evening of food, wine and spirits paired with an auction to benefit scholarships and medical education. The event marks the continuation of joint philanthropy efforts with Orlando Health and Valencia College foundations.

Vintners from around the world will donate and pour their finest wines, thanks to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. With hundreds of wines available why would you miss this event hosted at the luxurious Rosen Shingle Creek?

Please join us by inviting friends and colleagues, sponsoring a table and contributing auction items.

100 percent of each dollar given for tickets, auction items and sponsorships goes to its intended purpose . Every item is donated – from the gourmet food to the international wines poured by their own vintners, and from the advertising to the decor.

For sponsorship opportunities please contact Donna Marino at 407-582-3128.

winter blessings

This holiday season is a special time of year, one when we focus on friends and family; our gifts express generosity and love to those we care about.

This winter I’m reflecting back on the blessings received in 2013.  There have been many in my life including travels, new family members, additional professional accomplishments, budding friendships and visits to and from long time friends.

One of the most profound blessings is the work I do for the Valencia  and the students that are served because of our mission.

Valencia students are more determined than ever to improve their opportunities in life, and perhaps change the future of their family for generations.  This is where your generosity makes a huge difference.

I have witnessed how our student’s lives are impacted by the kindness of our donors. Without foundation scholarships, many would not be able to attend college. Your support continues to make a tremendous difference in the lives of these students.

This holiday season is a special time of year, one when we focus on friends and family; our gifts express generosity and love to those we care about.

If you are considering extending your generosity and want to make a difference in the lives of others this year, please consider a donation in support of Valencia College and the students we serve.

If you wish to make a donation please visit us online at www.VALENCIA.org and click on >>Give Now for our secure website.  You may also send your contribution to Valencia Foundation 190 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801. Checks dated on or before December 31, 2013 will be marked as a 2013 donation.

I trust that you will give as generously as you can to provide the opportunity for a life-changing learning experience for a Valencia students.

And I wish many blessings to you and your family in the New Year.

Happy holidays!

preparing for tomorow’s generations

When economic prospects look dismal it’s natural to focus on short-term, rather than long-term, goals. Our foundation board is committed to keeping both horizons in our line of sight so that we can serve today’s deserving student and prepare for tomorrow’s generations. 

We imagine a community in which family finances
never stand in the way of earning a college education.

As you plan for your family’s future, I invite you to use our new web site tools at www.VALENCIAGIVING.org, which may spark some creative thinking about how to maintain your legacy forever.

• Make a bequest pledge that costs you nothing during your life.
• Give a contribution that provides you lifetime income.
• Preserve your estate for your heirs and provide years of income to Valencia.
• Convert surplus life insurance coverage into an endowment.
• Donate appreciated securities and realize larger tax savings than if you had used cash.

We welcome your feedback on our new online resources, designed to help you chart your charitable intentions, which can be found at www.VALENCIAGIVING.org. If you would prefer, our foundation team would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your philanthropic objectives and to explore how you and your family can benefit.

P.S. If you have already made Valencia Foundation a planned giving priority please let us know so that you can become a founding member of our new Legacy Society. Feel free to contact Donna Marino, CFRE at (407) 582-3128 to learn more.

violin instructor’s fermata: legacy through music

Pennsylvanian music lover Doris Paisley took a chance on young Neal Phillips when she agreed to teach the preschooler violin. Neal became her youngest student ever.

Doris Paisley’s life was dedicated to performance violin. She joined the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra at the age of 15, where she played a total of 40 years and achieved first violin. Doris was a graduate of State Teachers College at Indiana, now Indiana University of Pennsylvania, with a B.S. in education. Her passions were education and music.

When Doris Paisley passed away in 2011, Valencia faculty member Neal Phillips found a way to honor his childhood violin teacher: by providing scholarship funds for musically inclined students to attend college.

Last week, two Valencia College students each received a $1,000 Instrumental Music Scholarships in memory of Ms. Doris Paisley. Both students have a passion for music; the scholarship funds will provide students the resources to explore their love of music while at Valencia and still afford core classes.

Pictured here are students Melody Cook and Jim Reyelt. They are joined by Neal Phillips (wearing a violin tie in honor of Doris Paisley) and Troy Gifford, program director and music professor at Valencia College.

Pictured here are the first students to receive the Doris Paisley scholarship: Melody Cook and Jim Reyelt. They are joined by Ms. Paisley’s former student and Valencia professor Neal Phillips (wearing a violin tie in honor of Doris Paisley). Pictured also is Troy Gifford, program director and music professor at Valencia College.

consulate awards scholarships for valencia students of mexican origin

IME BECAS Scholarships Funds Awarded: The funding is part of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) “BECAS for a Better Life,” a fundraising program that was created by the Mexican government in 2005 to support the development and well being of Mexican migrant students living in the United States. The program’s ultimate goal is to help develop a more educated and better-trained work force by supporting underserved students to continue or begin their academic development.

The Mexican Consulate in Orlando awarded Valencia College $4,000 in scholarships to benefit Mexican-American students. Together with matching dollars from the Valencia Foundation, the college will award four students each with a $2,000 scholarship. Recipients must be current Valencia students who are Mexican or of Mexican descent.

A total of $28,000 was awarded by the consulate to three Florida colleges and two nonprofits during a ceremony held earlier today at the consulate. Each award will be matched by the recipients’ foundations to provide $56,000 in scholarships to benefit more than 160 students.

“We are very grateful to have the opportunity to partner with the Mexican Consulate to provide scholarship support to students of Mexican descent,” said Kathleen Plinske, president of Valencia’s Osceola and Lake Nona campuses. “One of our strategies to increase the number of students who pursue a higher education in our community is to reduce the financial barriers they face, and this scholarship program will help several of our students to realize their dreams at Valencia College.”

Hispanics make up the largest minority group at Valencia at 31 percent. In the last five years, Hispanic enrollment at the college has grown by 37%, or 4,959 students.

This is the second year that Valencia has received these funds, after awarding scholarships last year to four Mexican-America students, including:

• Ashley Vasquez, a first-generation college student, member of Phi Theta Kappa, who dreams of becoming an optometrist and plans to complete her A.A. then transfer to UCF for her bachelor’s;
• Daisy Mondragon, who’s pursing an A.S in Radiology Technician and is hoping to graduate in December 2014;
• Carolina Lopez, married with small children, will be the first in her family to graduate from college. She’s studying for her A.S. in nursing—a highly competitive and rigorous program—and plans to complete her bachelor’s in nursing at UCF.

The funding is part of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) “BECAS for a Better Life,” a fundraising program that was created by the Mexican government in 2005 to support the development and well being of Mexican migrant students living in the United States. The program’s ultimate goal is to help develop a more educated and better-trained work force by supporting underserved students to continue or begin their academic development.

Information on how students can apply for the scholarships can be found here: https://valenciafoundation.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/2013-14-ime-becas-scholarship-available-now-2/

note from the “Tina’s Heart” scholarship committee

The endowed scholarship created in memory of Valencia student Christine “Tina” Collyer will begin distributing to Valencia College students in 2014.  Family and friends of Tina celebrated her memory in the following letter that thanked community members and contributors of this learning legacy.

We are happy to announce that the Tina’s Heart Scholarship in memory of Tina Collyer is now endowed!

Starting in 2014, Valencia will award one scholarship every year to a freshman student who will attend Valencia. EVERY YEAR!!! Although the specific criteria for eligibility to receive the scholarship has not been finalized, it will be awarded to a student who has participated in the Fire Department Explorer program and wants to pursue a career as a firefighter/EMT.

The Orlando Fire Department Explorer program was at the center of Tina’s heart, and she inspired the Explorers that she guided through the program. Tina’s legacy will live on in our memories and this scholarship will extend that legacy to future Explorers!

Thank you so much for your donation to Tina’s Heart Scholarship, as your generosity made this scholarship possible. Most donations came through our 2011 and 2012 Tina’s Turn Out events at Lake Eola, through the Valencia Alumni Association, and through the 2013 graduating class at Valencia College. We are so very grateful to all of you.

Please celebrate Tina whenever you think of her – when you take a walk around Lake Eola, or when you hear a fire truck, or just whenever you think of her crazy antics.

With heartfelt thanks,

The Tina’s Heart Scholarship Committee
Janice Collyer, Bill Collyer, Shannon Omark, Suzanne Rhodes, Barbara Shell, Randy & Genie Tuten

P.S. If you would like to provide input on the eligibility and selection criteria prior to the 2014 Scholarship season, please contact Shannon Omark at sbomark@mchsi.com or Suzanne Rhodes at suz403@yahoo.com prior to March 1, 2014.

Christine ”Tina” Collyer’s lifelong dream of becoming a fire fighter was ignited by an AS degree in Fire Officer Technology, an AS in Emergency Medical Service Technology and a certificate in Paramedic Technology from Valencia Community College. In January of 1996 she joined the Orlando Fire Department and also served as Paramedic and instructor for the department and citizens of Orlando.

Tina was the Explorer Advisor for many years and proudly served on the Honor Guard. Her contributions to the Orlando community extended as a volunteer with Burn Camp, Dream Flight, and the Winnie Palmer Secret Santa.

Friends and family are honoring Tina’s commitment to learning and her giving spirit with a scholarship in her honor.  The family wanted to create hope with Tina’s Heart marking one year since Tina’s passing in October 2008.

For more information about the efforts of this committee in memory of Valencia Grad Tina Collyer please read the blogs In memory of Tina Collyer and The results are in: Tina’s Turnout for scholarships.

endowed chair sparked recent TEDx ValenciaCollegeLive

Valencia’s East Campus recently hosted TEDxValenciaCollegeLive.
This photo of Valencia College students and faculty made an appearance on the TED global stage in Scotland during the TEDGlobal 2013 Live Stream.

Dr. James S. May, Professor of English as a Second Language, expresses his appreciation for the 2012-2013 Maguire Family Teacher Endowed Chair:

“It is with the support Valencia Foundation and the Maguire Family Teacher Endowed Chair, that Valencia College was able to take part in the recent global collaboration as part of TEDGlobal 2013 Live Stream.

Valencia students, faculty and staff  had the opportunity to experience these enriching TED talks, presented in time-delayed simulcast from the TED Global in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Last February, thanks in large part to the Valencia Foundation and the Maguire Family Teacher Endowed Chair, I had the honor of attending TEDActive2013. There, I experienced the true power and wonder of TED. An outcome of the endowed chair was this participation with TEDGlobal 2013. “

Valencia Foundation Endowed Chairs for Learning Leadership program has been established to recognize and promote academic excellence at Valencia College. The program honors outstanding members of the Valencia teaching faculty and provides resources needed for advancement of instruction at Valencia.

At Valencia College the endowed chair program recognizes and supports the Valencia faculty. In contrast to endowed chair programs at four-year institutions, which aim to attract preeminent researchers, Valencia Foundation endowed chairs fund a faculty proposed learning experiences.

These proposals that supports the mission, vision, and values of Valencia College and has a connection to student learning.  Endowed chairs also provide funding for projects that enhance learning-centered activities and/or foster professional development departmentally, college wide, within a discipline, or within the central Florida community.

Additional photos of Valencia’s day-long event are posted online.

sending appreciation to faculty and staff

You may soon see Valencia employees on campus sporting a new piece of Valencia flair: the gold Valencia Foundation lapel pin.

This lapel pin is given in appreciation to those faculty and staff members who are “Giving Opportunity” to Valencia students through payroll contributions to the Valencia Foundation

This lapel pin is given in appreciation to faculty and staff members who are “Giving Opportunity” to Valencia students through payroll contributions to the Valencia Foundation.

Employees who contribute by payroll deduction can select which scholarship they would like to support. These scholarships may reflect discipline, organization affiliation, or in memory of a colleague.

Others Valencia employees support Valencia’s Student Opportunity Scholarship, the first scholarship created and funded solely by faculty and staff for the students they serve.

For a full list of scholarships please visit the Valencia Foundation website.  If employees wish to contribute by semi-monthly payroll deductions please download the application here.

The Valencia Foundation would like to send special thanks to Katie Shephard and Josh Murdock who lead the 2012-2013 Faculty and Staff Committee!

If you are interested in serving as a faculty and staff campus ambassador please contact Donna Marino, manager of donor stewardship for Valencia Foundation at 407-582-3128 or email dmarino@valenciacollege.edu.

alumni spotlight: Michael Dippy ’89

The plight of homeless individuals and families troubled Valencia graduate Michael Dippy.He recognized that their circumstances prohibited them from obtaining basic personal identification cards required to get a job or enroll in college.

But unlike most, he was willing to forgo his career to make a remarkable difference in their lives and futures.

Dignity was created to help the disadvantaged in Central Florida overcome the difficulties of obtaining the personal identification that is crucial to enabling them to become self-sufficient. Visit http://www.iDignity.org for more information or to volunteer.

He founded and now serves as executive director of IDignity, a non-profit charity that provides hands-on assistance to Central Florida’s poor and disadvantaged in Central Florida, allowing them to overcome the identification that is crucial to enabling their self-sufficiency. IDignity provides the documents required to apply for employment and college, access most homeless shelters, vote, seek help from many social service agencies, open a bank account, cash a check and rent housing.

After graduating from Valencia, Dippy graduated from the University of Florida with an architecture degree. He worked for eight years in this field but found himself drawn to a greater purpose.

Named by the Orlando Sentinel as the 2010 Central Floridian of the Year, Michael issued a challenge to our neighbors: “I hope that others will be encouraged to do even more to make our community a better place for all. I suggest that you find something that bothers you, maybe a societal injustice or an ongoing problem or an unmet need, and then do all you can to try and solve it. Each of us can make a positive impact on our community, in our own way. The reward will be greater than the effort.”

Michael found the treatment of the homeless unacceptable and soon took action. In 2003, he assisted in the development of the local chapter of Family Promise, which provides food, shelter and support services for homeless families. In 2006, he joined Project Homeless Connect, which symbiotically combines vital agencies working to serve the homeless during one-day events.

But he had a more extraordinary vision of partnership and service, launching IDignity in 2008.The need for such a program was recognized by members of five downtown churches which had been unable to access such a service. Exhaustive research led to this inventive new organization, which now works with the DMV’s Florida drivers license department, Orange County Health Department’s birth certificate office, Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. IDignity also provides legal counsel and trouble-shoots the difficult task of obtaining out-of-state birth certificates.

Since May 2008, IDignity has hosted monthly triage at downtown’s Orlando Rescue Mission and has since expanded to Sanford. Each day-long collaboration serves about 225 clients. Since its inception, IDignity has provided life-changing identification to more than 7,000 Central Florida clients.

Michael’s work has not gone unnoticed. He also was designated a “Local Hero” by Bank of America and awarded the 2012 Community Service Award from the RAFMAN Club (Retired Air Force, Marine, Army and Navy). He serves as outreach chair for the First United Methodist Church of Orlando.

In December 2011, Valencia Foundation staff volunteered for IDignity. “Spending just a day at IDignity was a moving experience that revealed how a simple identification document could make an enormous difference in the life of an individual,” says foundation president Geraldine Gallagher. “I think it was life-changing for all of us to experience the exuberance of the IDignity clients who received their hard-earned ID cards, something you and I take for granted.”

Michael and his team of staff and volunteers were committed to help every person who walks through the door, she explains. “We witnessed tears of joy, a spring to their step, a newfound self-respect, and such a look of hope from those who received their documents that day.It is the same experience I have with our student scholarship recipients. They held their heads a little higher, ready to take on the road ahead, simply because someone believes in their worth and is willing to invest in their futures.”

Follow Up: On November 14th 2012, Michael Dippy and IDignity were honored as one of four recipients of the Manhattan Institute’s Richard Cornuelle Award for Social Entrepreneurship. This esteemed national designation is awarded each year to individuals whom are leading efforts to solve significant social issues.

donor spotlight: Universal Orlando and Diane O’Dell

Tourism drives Orlando’s economy, and partnerships with our community’s hospitality titans are a natural extension of Valencia’s role in Central Florida. Our relationships build scholarships, endowed chairs, internships and a cadre of well-trained employees to hire.

Universal Orlando Resort began their Valencia College giving in the ’80s, and their philanthropy has grown to include an endowed faculty chair and a $1-million-dollar scholarship endowment.

Universal Orlando Resort is a perfect example. Valencia’s nationally recognized film production technology program, with selective admission and limited enrollment, trains students for entry-level positions in six major cinema creation areas.Part of the hospitality and culinary division, Valencia’s bakery and pastry management program draws on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort chefs to instruct students and provide a broad view of career opportunities and the real-world skills required to succeed.

Universal is a business partner in the restaurant management program, and involved with the Hospitality and Tourism Institute. Universal employees serve on Valencia’s advisory councils for electronics engineering technology and restaurant management.

In 1996, Universal Orlando Resort committed $30,000 to support Valencia’s Hospitality and Tourism Institute and to enhance Valencia’s educational offerings in arts and entertainment.

The Universal Orlando Chair in Arts and Entertainment serves fine and performing arts, graphic arts and graphic design technology, theater and entertainment technology, and film production technology. It also supports educational outreach activities of the Hospitality and Tourism Institute, and expanded Universal’s work with the college in the development of a technical apprenticeship program.

In the ’90s, Universal Orlando Foundation established a $1 million dollar scholarship endowment through the leadership of Jan Stratton. The Universal Orlando Scholarship is awarded to graduating high school seniors from Dr. Phillips, Olympia, West Orange, Jones and Evans high schools. Universal Orlando scholars who are accepted to the UCF Rosen School of Hospitality are eligible for up to an additional two years of scholarship awards. In 2011-2012, $39,000 was awarded to students from the Universal Orlando Scholarship.

This year’s Universal Orlando Scholarship recipients share their gratitude:

Thank you so much for awarding me the Universal Orlando Foundation Scholarship. It is truly an honor to be chosen. Your organization’s generous scholarship award means so much to me and my family. I’ve heard a lot about how much college textbooks cost and this scholarship will go a long way toward keeping that burden off my mind. Were it not for these funds, I would not be able to go to school this semester.

— Martin Cherenfant

I promise I’ll make the most of this scholarship. Thank you again, Universal Orlando Foundation, because this scholarship will indeed change my future and help me succeed in life.

— Carlos Powery

While I attend Valencia College full time, I also have a part-time job at a real estate investment brokerage office as an administrative assistant. It is sometimes difficult to juggle between work and school, as working too much may cause my grades to suffer. But not working enough hours over the course of a semester might make my financial situation that much more difficult the next semester. That’s why I so greatly appreciate this scholarship, as it allows me to focus on what’s really important, and that is college.

— Angel Monroy

“If I were to give Valencia’s commencement speech, my advice would be: Be open to where life takes you. Proactively seek opportunities. Make a point to be happy, and enjoy the journey.” – Universal Orlando Foundation executive director, Diane O’Dell

Today the Universal Orlando Foundation is led by executive director Diane O’Dell, who has served on the Valencia Foundation board since 2008. Diane was responsible for committing Universal Orlando Resort’s A Taste for Learning support.

Diane is moved by a Mark Twain quote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones that you did.”

She lives this philosophy through her community service to the boards of Harbor House, City Year Orlando and the Orlando Health Foundation.

She believes in Valencia because education is so critical in the lives of youth. “For many, education is truly a life changing experience.”

Her favorite Valencia experience was awarding scholarships in support of foster children. “It was a wonderful experience to see the impact the scholarship program makes overall,” she explains.

Diane takes her foundation board responsibilities seriously, believing that she should be a champion for Valencia. Her plan in this upcoming year is to “continue to share the great news about Valencia being the No.1 community college in the nation.”

young money live: financial literacy week

Financial Literacy Week Presents “Young Money Live”
Monday, April 8 at 9:30am to 3:00pm
East Campus, Bldg 5, Room 112 & Great Hall
701 N Econlockhatchee Tr.

Along with special sessions like Young Money Live, Student Financial Learning Ambassadors promote financial literacy and responsible money management through peer-to-peer skillships and by presenting at campus events.

Many of the Ambassador presentations occur in the classroom through Valencia’s Student Success course, which is a class teaching strategies for success in life and college and is an appropriate platform for introducing the topic of financial responsibility.

It is with the support of USA Funds over the last 2 years that the Financial Learning Ambassador program has grown and expanded college-wide.

Mounting student debt to cover rising college costs is creating a challenging environment for a number of students pursuing a college degree. A college degree is an avenue to financial success and long-term stability and most college graduates experience more stable employment, higher income, security through assets, and an overall better quality of life than non-graduates.  One mechanism to work toward higher graduation rates and lower default rates is by way of financial literacy strategies and initiatives like the USA Funds supported Financial Learning Ambassadors at Valencia College.

new lake nona rotary supporting valencia students

Valencia Osceola President Kathleen A. Plinske, (L), Valencia Foundation Manager Donna Marino (C) and Lake Nona Rotary President Michael Valenzeula

Special appreciation is extended to Lake Nona Rotary; this group modeled service above self with a recent contribution of $4,000 for Valencia student scholarships.

The March 2013 donation is earmarked for first responder student scholarships.

At the same meeting, Lake Nona Rotary members honored the good work of local students in the Civil Air Patrol, US Air Force Auxiliary.

This Civil Air Patrol unit collaborated with Valencia College and Lake Nona Rotary to implement the 9/11 memorial flag display on Osceola Campus.

Valencia Osceola President Kathleen A. Plinske, (L), Student Leaders from Civil Air Patrol, US Air Force Auxiliary (C) Valencia Foundation Manager Donna Marino (R) and Lake Nona Rotary President Michael Valenzeula (R)

valencia veteran students benefit from wells fargo grant

Valencia College Foundation recently received a $10,000 grant from Wells Fargo to support veteran students. This contribution will provide Valencia veteran students the chance to acclimate their academic and leadership skills by providing scholarships for veteran-only speech classes, online preparatory classes and veteran-specific leadership opportunities.

Valencia students who have served will benefit from this partnership with Wells Fargo, enhancing our veteran student’s access to education and easing transition from military to college life.

The latest donation of $10,000 will add to Wells Fargo’s total contributions of $60,000 within the last year.

The May contribution of $50,000 encompassed a two-fold Wells Fargo partnership: providing access to education for students in need while creating a vital source of permanent scholarship funding. Wells Fargo support provided scholarships for first-generation students now, and created a Wells Fargo Endowed Scholarship for future students.

valencia sga leaders send appreciation

Valencia College student government association presidents recently sent thankful words to community members who donated in support of Valencia College students through a contribution to Valencia Foundation.

“Please accept our appreciation for your generous support and thank you for opening access to college in our community!”

 

“Our peers are bright, motivated and often balancing work, family and community commitments. All Valencia students greatly benefit from the support they receive, no matter how large or modest the scholarship.”

The note was signed by student leaders from Valencia College area campus locations:
Jose Abastido, Osceola Campus; Mike Acevedo, East Campus; Andrew Johnson, Winter Park Campus; Evan King, West Campus; and Paula Santos, Lake Nona Campus.

grand wines at grande bordeaux tasting in orlando

Bordeaux Grande Wine Tasting
Rosen Shingle Creek
Wednesday, January 16, 2013, 7:00 – 10:00pm

Valencia’s event sponsor for Taste for Learning is hosting another elegant wine tasting event for those who love to sample and sip.

25+ chateau owners and managers from Bordeaux, France will join ABC Fine Wine and Spirits in Orlando to host a one of a kind Bordeaux-only wine tasting.

Bordeaux Grande Wine Tasting at Rosen Shingle Creek
Wednesday, January 16, 2013, 7:00 – 10:00pm

For ticket or event information please visit online at: http://www.abcfws.com/BordeauxGrandeTasting

endowed chairs for learning leadership at valencia

Valencia educators are encouraged to remain current and continually improve discipline knowledge. The endowed chair program at the Valencia Foundation, with support and resources from many community partners, provide Valencia faculty the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of their teaching, counseling, librarianship and assessment techniques as they influence student learning.

Valencia Foundation is honored to have the support of our dedicated individual and corporate partners. Valencia College and our students benefit from the kindness of philanthropic individuals, corporations and organizations that are deeply rooted in our community.

Endowed Chair Recipients (2012-2013)

Rachel Allen: Patricia Havill Whalen Chair in Social Sciences

Suzette Dohany: Sue Luzadder Chair in Communications

Yolanda Gonzalez: Howard Palmer Chair in Foreign Languages

Debra Hollister and Brian Macon: Freeda Louise Foreman Chair in Family Resource Development

Mabel Machin: John and Florence MacLeod Chair in Business

Julia Nudel: Lockheed Martin Chair in Math

Bonnie Oliver: Bank of America Chair in Business

Robin Poole: Chesley G. Magruder Foundation Chair in Nursing & Allied Health

Marva Pryor: Bank of America Chair in Business Management

Richard Sansone: University Club Chair in Humanities

Brenda Schumpert: Lockheed Martin Chair in Science

Irina Struganova: Lester N. Mandell Chair in Natural and Physical Sciences

Elizabeth Wanielista: Wayne M. Densch Chair in Geriatrics

Joan Alexander: University Club Chair in Computers

Kenneth Bourgoin: HuntonBrady Architects Endowed Chair in Hospitality Management

Ralph Clemente: Walt Disney World Chair in Film Technology

Steven Cunningham: Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Free Enterprise

Kitty Harkleroad: Ira Vinson Henderson Chair in Nursing and Allied Health

Deymond Hoyte: SunTrust Teaching Chair in Economic Development and Business Education

Jim Inglis: Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Chair

Chris Klinger: Tupperware Worldwide Chair in Community Quality

Ilyse Kusnetz: Eugene & Jessie Drey Endowment of English Speaking Union

Pamela Lapinski: Harry J. and E. Mary Hobbs Teaching Chair in Nursing

Adrian Manley: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Endowed Chair in Communications

James May: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Teaching Chair

Pierre Pilloud: Central Florida Restaurant Association Chair in Restaurant & Food Management

Andrew Ray: Hubbard Construction Company Chair in Technical and Engineering

Suzanne Salapa: Universal Orlando Chair in Arts and Entertainment:

Pamela Sandy: Chesley G. Magruder Foundation Chair in Health & Life Science

faculty and staff give-up-a-cup in support of the students they serve

Valencia College faculty and staff have launched an internal campaign to raise scholarships and college program funds. This year they are asking colleagues to “give up a cup” for Valencia students.

Valencia Foundation provides vital support to students and to the college through scholarships, endowed teaching chairs, and program support. Last year, faculty and staff donations grew by 39 percent. This year the campaign ambassadors would like to involve more faculty and staff in payroll contributions.

Primary focus of the committee is to share the good work of Valencia Foundation and encourage faculty and staff participation based

The campaign principles, taglines, and clever graphics were designed by college staff and faculty to provide support for the Valencia students they serve.

on individual interest and willingness to contribute. This is a grassroots effort lead by the hearts and volunteer time of the campaign committees. A faculty or staff member should not, at any time, feel pressured or compelled to give to the foundation.

The clever ‘give up a cup’ slogan and ‘have you left your mark’ logo were created by staff. These taglines really highlight how little drops of support, from multiple contributors, can collect into huge assistance for a Valencia student.

Feel free to visit the “Give Up a Cup” donation site online at: www.valencia.org/fsg/

Under the leadership of the campaign chairs Katie Shephard and Patti Riva the campus committee members have contributed their resources, relations and fond regard in support of the Valencia students they serve. Many thanks to the Valencia College staff and faculty campaign ambassadors: Chris Borglum, Clarence Canada, Diana Ciesko, Kimberly Finley, Brian Macon, Donna Marino, Josh Murdock, Mia Pierre, Denny Rogers, and Jorge Soto.

valencia veteran students benefit from wells fargo grant

Valencia College Foundation recently received a $10,000 grant from Wells Fargo to support veteran students. This contribution will provide Valencia veteran students the chance to acclimate their academic and leadership skills by providing scholarships for veteran-only speech classes, online preparatory classes and veteran-specific leadership opportunities.

Valencia students who have served will benefit from this partnership with Wells Fargo, enhancing our veteran student’s access to education and easing transition from military to college life.

The latest donation of $10,000 will add to Wells Fargo’s total contributions of $60,000 within the last year.

The May contribution of $50,000 encompassed a two-fold Wells Fargo partnership: providing access to education for students in need while creating a vital source of permanent scholarship funding. Wells Fargo support provided scholarships for first-generation students now, and created a Wells Fargo Endowed Scholarship for future students.

upcoming theater performance in the black box

Valencia College Theater will present the Lorraine Hansberry modern classic, “A Raisin in the Sun,” on February 15-19 and 22-26. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, with an additional matinée on Saturday, February 25 at 2 p.m.

The Valencia College Foundation has coordinated a special ‘come back stage’ event that will provide a tour of the Performing Arts Center followed by a performance in the Black Box Theater.  Valencia friends, community supporters, and donors will receive invitations, with additional information, the first week in February.  For more information please call 407-528-3180.

The New York Times called “A Raisin in the Sun” “a play that changed American theater forever.” The drama is the story of an African American family in the 1950’s waiting desperately for a change in their circumstances. Multiple generations of the family struggle, feeling trapped in a dingy, tiny apartment that was supposed to be temporary housing 40 years earlier. The catalyst for change is an anticipated life insurance check, but various family members have different and conflicting designs on the money. In the end, there is hope, but the family knows that the road to their dreams will not be an easy one.

Hansberry’s work will be directed by John DiDonna, with guest artist Avis Marie Barnes playing Mama, the formidable matriarch of the family.

The play will be presented in the Black Box Theater on the college’s East Campus, located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando. Seating is limited in the Black Box, so advance purchase is recommended; also, latecomers will not be seated until intermission.

Ticket prices are $10 general admission, and $8 for students, seniors, Valencia staff and alumni. Tickets may be purchased by phone, in person at the Box Office, or online at http://www.valenciacollege.edu/arts.  For further information, please call the Box Office at 407-582-2900.

nonprofit partners conference

The 11th Annual Central Florida Community Partners Nonprofit Management Conference is being held on February 2, 2012, and the title is “The Groundhog Day Effect… breaking the cycle.”  It has been said that if you do what you  always did, you get what you always got. Join us for strategies on creative change as we explore ways to avoid the Groundhog Day effect.  

For details, additional information and registration visit: www.ce.ucf.edu/community. Student scholarships are available to Valencia College students.

valencia featured in community college times

Geraldine Gallagher, president and CEO of the Valencia Foundation, was interviewed for the March 3 article, “Finding New Funding Streams in Hard Times,” in Community College Times. Read the story here.

memorial to officers is dedicated

Dozens of officers from multiple municipalities, along with Valencia staff and students, were in attendance for the unveiling of the new fallen officer memorial at Valencia’s Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) on Wednesday, Aug.18.

The memorial was donated by the Basic Law Enforcement Class 2010-11. In addition to their rigorous course work, the students raised more than $2,000 and performed all the labor needed to install the memorial.

“It was the right thing to do,” said Pedro Roman, president of  the class. “We need a reminder to everyone who enters the academy.”

The ceremony was held in honor of Officer Carl Smith and Deputy Craig Heber. Both families were in attendance and each laid flowers at the base of the memorial, surrounded by police motorcycle units, mounted police, and the students themselves.

“This has been an amazing honor,” said LuAnn Smith, wife of Officer Smith and a police officer for more than 25 years. “This just shows how much everyone has cared, and the amazing effort put forth by this recruit class.”

“It’s a very good honor to my husband, because he was a wonderful person and he definitely deserved this,” said Cheryl Heber, Deputy Heber’s wife, who watched as a police helicopter circled in the sky above.

The memorial is a black granite slab bearing a plaque inscribed “Fallen Heroes” and is dedicated to honoring “…the valor in their hearts and the fortitude they showed in the face of death.”

Jeff Goltz, Director of the Criminal Justice Institute, conducted the ceremony. “This donation is by far the biggest and most elaborate donation we’ve had,” said Goltz. “[The recruit class] demonstrated service early in their career.  “They’re going to be good police officers.”

Source: Collin Dever

gifts of stock for students

If you're considering a major gift to the Valencia Foundation or planning your end-of-year gift, a gift of public company stock to charity provides two major benefits. First, there is a charitable deduction for the value of the stock. Second, the charity does not pay tax on the sale of the stock and you, therefore, bypass the capital gain.

What will the market do this year? Perhaps the best answer is, “It will go up and down.” Stock returns vary to a significant degree each year. However, long-term stock returns have been reasonably substantial.

Between 1990 and 2010, the average stock return was about 6%. While there was a very substantial increase during 1990-2000 and decreases during 2002 and 2008, the total return over two decades was approximately 6%.

Longer holding periods have generally resulted in higher total returns. The total stock return for seven decades between 1940 and 2010 was in excess of 10%. Returns for long periods of time have paralleled this amount.

You can select to support education in our community! Because many stocks have increased in value over time, you may hold stocks with substantial appreciation.  If you’re considering a major gift or end-of-year gift, a gift of public company stock to support education through the Valencia Foundation provides two major benefits. First, there is a charitable deduction for the value of the stock. Second, the charity does not pay tax on the sale of the stock and you, therefore, bypass the capital gain. 

Click here for a video and example of this process.

Two fairly common reasons for making a substantial gift of stock are that you may have sold an appreciated asset with a large capital gain or you have good income. If you have a large gain or substantial income, you may want to offset that gain or income with a charitable deduction through a gift of stock. Because you receive both the charitable deduction and a bypass of capital gains tax, there is a double benefit for your gift of stock.

How to Make a Stock Gift

If you would like to make a gift of stock to support students through the Valencia Foundation, please call 407/582-3150 for assistance or to have your questions answered about this process.

Most stock is held in an account at a brokerage firm. Relatively few people now wish to hold the actual certificates in their safety deposit box. If you hold actual certificates, you may mail the certificate and a signed stock power in separate envelopes to the charity. Because most stock is held by the brokerage firm, the stock is transferred directly from the account at the brokerage firm to an account for the charity.

Source: © Copyright 1999-2010 Crescendo Interactive, Inc.

giving opportunities: legacy society

If you have already included Valencia Foundation in your estate plan, please contact the foundation at (407) 582-3128 to become a part of the Valencia Legacy Society.

Valencia Legacy Society

There are other ways to support Valencia, create student scholarships, and enhance education in our community.  By naming Valencia Community College Foundation as a beneficiary through a will or amending a will with a codicil, you can make a commitment in support of education through your future donation!

If you would like more information on planned giving, sample bequest language, completing a legacy gift form or just have general scholarship questions please contact Donna Marino at 407.582.3128 or e-mail dmarino@valenciacc.edu.

Your generosity matters to students now and in the future. Consider the words of the Honorable Charles D. Gill “There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them.”

If you have already included Valencia Foundation in your estate plan, please contact the foundation at (407) 582-3128 to become a part of the Valencia Legacy Society.

2010-2011 endowed chair professors and scholars

Valencia educators are encouraged to remain current and continually improve discipline knowledge. With these endowed chairs, our faculty are given the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of their teaching, counseling, librarianship and assessment techniques as they influence student learning.

Congratulations to the following Distinguished Professors and Scholars, who have been awarded a 2010-11 Valencia Foundation Endowed Chair for Learning Leadership. 

Distinguished Professors

Fitzroy Farquharson:  Lockheed Martin Chair in Mathematics
Richard Gair:  Abe and Tess Wise Endowed Chair in the Study of the Shoah
Deymond Hoyte:  Bank of America Chair in Business Management
Ilyse Kusnetz:  Sue Luzadder Chair in Communications
Yasmeen Qadri:  Patricia Havill Whalen Chair in Social Sciences
Richard Sansone:  Howard L. Palmer Chair in Foreign Languages
Russell Takashima:  Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Chair in Mathematics   
Rachel Waite:  University Club of Orlando Chair in Humanities 

Distinguished Scholars

Colin Archibald:  SunGard Endowed Teaching Chair in Computer Science
Ralph Clemente:  Walt Disney World Chair in Film Technology
Debbie Garrison / Susan Dauer:  Maguire Family Teacher Endowed Chair
Carin Gordon:  Cliff and Daisy Whitehill Chair in Legal Studies
Deidre Holmes DuBois:  Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Endowed Chair in Communications
Jim Inglis:  Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Chair in Hospitality Management
Lisa Macon:  Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Education in Free Enterprise
James May:  Jessie and Eugene Drey Endowment of the English-Speaking Union/Central Florida Branch Chair in English and Humanities
Robert McCaffrey:  University Club of Orlando Chair in Advanced Computer Technology  
Pierre Pilloud:  Central Florida Restaurant Association Chair in Restaurant and Food Management
Suzanne Salapa:  Universal Orlando Chair in Arts and Entertainment

Many thanks to the dedicated individual and corporate partners who have created and supported the endowed chair program. Valencia Community College and our students benefit from the kindness of philanthropic individuals, corporations and organizations that are deeply rooted in our community.

foundation f.a.q for you

FAQ's for you!

Want to know more about the Valencia Foundation and how we support Valencia Community College?  F.A.Qs for you are provided so you can be one of Those-in-the-Know.

What is the Valencia Foundation?
The foundation is a separate, not-for-profit, IRS approved 501(c)(3) corporation chartered in 1974 to provide financially for the educational needs of Valencia that cannot be met through state aid or student tuition income.

What does the Valencia Foundation do?
The office coordinates campaigns that help Valencia Community College provide a range of benefits, including scholarships, new technology, facilities, faculty improvements, and special programs. Nearly 60 community leaders volunteer generously of their time, talent, and resources by serving on the board of directors.

Can I tell the foundation how to spend my money?
Yes, you can tell our foundation how to utilize your donation by making a restricted gift.   *Please see the next question and answer for more information about restricted and unrestricted gifts.

What is the difference between a restricted gift and an unrestricted gift?
If you make a restricted gift, also known as a designated gift, you can direct your contribution to a specific scholarship, academic program, or any other special need. If you make an unrestricted gift—one with no restrictions on its use—you give Valencia the ability to apply funds where students need them most, including taking advantage of unexpected opportunities and meeting unforeseen challenges.

Will I receive tax benefits for my gift?
Yes, in most cases, the college’s supporters can deduct gifts from their taxes. Besides making direct, one-time contributions, you may also want to consider the long-term tax and estate-planning benefits of giving through annuities, trusts, and other financial tools.

Can I make a gift in honor or memory of someone?
Yes. As a tribute to a friend, colleague, mentor, family member, or anyone else, you can give in a person’s name.

How can I double or even triple my contribution?
Check with the human resources office at your company to see if it offers a matching funds program. More than 1,200 corporations have programs that match employees’ gifts to organizations like Valencia Community College.

What is a planned gift?
A planned gift is an arrangement to make a contribution to the Valencia Foundation, usually in the future. Annuities, trusts, and bequests in a will are examples of planned gifts. For more information, please visit our planned giving website at www.valenciagiving.org or contact Donna Marino at (407) 582-3128.

What is an outright gift?
An outright gift is an immediate, direct contribution, usually consisting of cash, real estate, or securities. 

Are there any advantages to making an outright gift?
Yes!  In fact, the advantages of making an outright gift are many… Valencia now offers more than 50 pre-major associate of arts, over 100 associate in science and applied science degrees and certificate programs: most programs lead to immediate entry into the workforce.

When you make an outright gift of cash, property, securities, or other assets to the Valencia Foundation,

• You provide instant assistance to the college and gain an immediate tax deduction.
• You usually get a charitable deduction for the full cost of the gift in the year you make it.
• It’s an easy, efficient way to support a cause you believe in.
• There are no complex financial documents to fill out.
• You get the satisfaction of offering direct financial help that furthers Valencia’s mission of reaching out to potential students and providing affordable, accessible learning opportunities.
• You receive other benefits depending on the type of gift: cash, real estate, or appreciated securities.

Because most Valencia Foundation benefactors make an outright gift of cash, the foundation has established several convenient ways for you to provide that support, including a check or credit card.

Are all gifts useful?
Yes, gifts of all amounts are deeply appreciated no matter how large or modest. Added to other gifts, any one gift combined has a large impact. Any gift demonstrates your concern for educational excellence at Valencia.

Can I make a gift online?
Yes. It’s quick, easy and secure through our online registration form at Make a Donation.

What is an Annual Fund?
An Annual Fund is a yearly campaign that raises resources for student scholarships and college programs and establishes a vehicle for Valencia to broaden its base of support. The rental income from the foundation’s real estate investments cover most of the foundation’s operating and fund-raising expenses, ensuring that 100 percent of donations are used exclusively for our donors’ intended purpose.

What is the Capital Campaign?
The Capital Campaign is a special campaign for new investments in people, programs, technology, and facilities for Valencia.

Where can I get more information?
Contact the Valencia Foundation at 190 S. Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32804; (407) 582-3150 or by emailing the foundation at foundation@valenciacc.edu

dmarino orig posting 09/09

The President’s Circle

Click here for a list of current President's Circle members

Valencia Foundation’s board of directors created The President’s Circle to promote learning as the center of Valencia Community College’s work. The President’s Circle allows members to play a pivotal role in helping the college president and foundation provide scholarships for students with urgent financial need.

A minimum unrestricted gift of $1,000 entitles the donor to The President’s Circle membership. Membership allows participation in a wide array of exciting opportunities and a special partnership with college president Sandy Shugart and fellow advocates of learning. Members receive invitations to the president’s home for private receptions with artists, authors and other notable individuals, passes to Valencia arts events, an opportunity to attend our special-topic forums and invitations to the foundation’s annual donor gala.

One hundred percent of contributions to The President’s Circle support scholarships for students in need. For more information on this dynamic circle of the Valencia family, contact the foundation at 407-582-3150 or visit www.VALENCIA.org.

donor spotlight: Mary Collier

Mary Collier with Valencia President Sandy Shugart

A 1982 Valencia graduate, Mary was named the college’s first Distinguished Graduate. The owner of Collier Jaguar in Orlando, she serves as a foundation board member, capital campaign captain, leadership team member, and is among the largest individual donors through cash donations, in-kind contributions and a legacy gift.

Her scholarship donation in 2006 represents a $200,000 endowed scholarship. In addition, her family is represented through the David F. Collier Scholarship, honoring her late husband, and the Mary Smedley Collier and Family Scholarship.

Mary served two terms as president of the Valencia Alumni Association board and continues to support their work and fundraising efforts. She is a consistent supporter of foundation and college events, including American Institute of Architects (AIA) Orlando and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Orlando golf tournaments, Valencia Foundation’s signature fundraising event, A Taste for Learning, and the alumni association’s Run, Walk and Roll event.

As a “non-traditional” student returning to college as an adult, Mary was well-versed in thinking outside of the box, especially as it relates to the success of students in need. Her foresight and willingness to make that first gift for transfer scholarships led to a major gift from Mayor Richard Crotty and a brand-new partnership with UCF to engage in joint philanthropy to support Valencia/UCF students. Without Mary’s leadership through the alumni association and the foundation, this type of scholarship assistance may never have taken route at Valencia. Consequently, we send hundreds of Valencia graduates to UCF, UF, USF, FSU and countless other institutions nationwide.

Mary’s story continues to inspire those who may at first be tentative at the prospect of going back to school. After her children had grown, she realized, “I was David’s wife, the kids’ mother and the dog’s owner. But I wasn’t Mary.” After some initial apprehension, she “dove in – it was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. It changed my whole life.” Her endeavors and unwavering support of Valencia are focused on the successful futures of learners of all ages. She truly exemplifies her own quote: “Anything you can imagine…you can do.”

 Reprinted from: Valencia Foundation Biennial Report

donor spotlight: Sue and Steve Foreman

Sue got involved with Valencia in 1976, as part of a Junior Woman’s Club group working in partnership with Valencia Community College to create the Parent Resource Center, a parent education and family support center.

Through this twentyfive year endeavor, and working with other Valencia Community College community outreach programs, Sue and Steve’s commitment to Valencia grew. Sue has provided service to the college and foundation as a board member since the late 80s. Their call to service is to make college degrees possible for promising, eager students with financial need.

Sue and Steve, and the Foreman family, have been significant donors to the foundation, creating in 1994 an endowed faculty chair in honor of Steve’s mother, which today is worth almost $100,000; providing significant support to Valencia students during hurricane relief efforts; and supporting various specific scholarship funds. Their support to the scholarship capital campaign also exceeds $100,000.

Philanthropy is a Foreman family affair – Sue and Steve and their children, Karen and Doug and their spouses, are all actively involved in supporting Valencia. Most recently, the family created an additional scholarship in memory and honor of Sue’s mom, Esther Bagg Hubbard, recognizing her legacy as a businesswoman, friend, athlete, and sports fan who thrived in the most challenging of circumstances. This scholarship supports women who demonstrate grit and moxie and who just need a belief in their opportunity to open the door to a lifetime of success.

Steve and Sue believe in providing a bridge for individuals who need education as a pathway to their economic self-sufficiency and personal fulfillment. Currently, Sue is working to engage significant philanthropists in Winter Park to create an endowment to benefit qualified Winter Park graduates. Their continued and innovative commitment to Valencia is a stellar example of individuals who have made a remarkable difference in the life of this college.

Reprinted from: Valencia Foundation Biennial Report

donor spotlight: Bruce Williams

A member of The President’s Circle, Bruce joined the foundation board in 2006 and serves as one of Valencia Foundation’s capital campaign leaders, helping to jump start a $20 million campaign by first making his own major gift, the largest of all board members.

A company is only as strong as its leadership, and at the helm of Williams Company is Bruce Williams, chairman of the company.

Actively involved in the Orlando community his entire life, Bruce Williams learned from an early age that in order to live in an enriching society, he would have to take an active part in creating and fostering enrichment. The view makes philanthropy a priority in his familyowned firm and his own family – every member of the Williams family donates annually to Valencia, and the Williams Company can be counted on to support the foundation’s events and fundraising efforts.

 Bruce and the Williams Company have been giving to the foundation since 1987. In 2006, he made a $250,000 commitment to support scholarships for students with financial need.

He also supports the many networking relationships Valencia Foundation has with community organizations that help raise funds for student scholarships. The Williams Company has participated in several of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Orlando’s annual golf tournaments, and Bruce is always willing to leverage relationships with vendors to increase participation in fundraisers for Valencia.

Bruce’s innovative approach is also visible in his professional work.  Williams Company was awarded first place in the Florida Educational Facilities Planners’ Association Inc. 2006 Architectural Showcase, teaming with HuntonBrady Architects for their work as the builders of the Valencia Community College Health Sciences Building. The award was based on an innovative response to an educational program, aesthetics and use of materials, flexibility for community use, technology provisions and barrier-free accessibility.

Bruce and the Williams Company are instrumental to Valencia Foundation’s mission. His willingness to set, and attain, high goals and be an agent of positive change is a true benefit to Valencia Foundation and the community beyond.

Reprinted from: Valencia Foundation Biennial Report

endowed scholarship update

The following is an open copy of the letter sent to Valencia Foundation endowed scholarship donors and scholarship contacts. 

Thank you for your continuing support of our mission to expand college access. We appreciate the difference you make in the lives of students through your endowed scholarship.

Because of that generosity, Valencia Foundation provided more than $3.4 million to Valencia when the most severe recession in recent memory was running full throttle. That’s about $130,000 more than the previous fiscal year.

We face tough economic challenges in serving students and managing scarce resources, but we have been able to maintain our foundation support this year because of donor loyalty and commitment.

You may have read in the newspaper about multi-billion-dollar university endowments suffering losses so significant that all spending has been suspended. As we balance the needs of our students with legal and fiscal accountability, I wanted to share with you the measures our board has taken to preserve your endowment. Because of their careful vigilance, we find only a handful of funds currently below their original corpus value as of Dec. 31, 2009. However, once spring disbursements have been recorded and our fiscal yearend figures examined by independent auditors, we shall evaluate each and every one of our 500 accounts, including yours.

We can’t predict what the next 18 months will bring economically, and we wish to be certain that we do not find ourselves in the position of other institutions which have had to freeze all disbursements from their endowments for several years.

So what does this mean?

• First, we’ll be calculating each account individually to determine its value above corpus, your original gift plus any matching dollars. I will be able to share those numbers by mid-May, which is several weeks later than usual.
• Second, in order to compensate for a potential “double dip” in market performance, we’ll be projecting your disbursement for two academic years (2010/11 and 2011/12) to ensure sustainability. Should the market continue to rebound, we’ll be able to expand disbursement in the second year.
• Third, if we discover that your fund is below its corpus value, we’ll communicate with you personally to review our options.

The bottom line is that we want to honor our covenant to steward your investment, our legal fiduciary responsibility to manage contributions – and the urgent needs of students. In partnership with the college, student financial aid has increased threefold during this recession to a total of $90.4 million. Student enrollment has grown by one-third, at the same time the state’s allocation dropped by 12 percent.

We’re dedicated to working hand in hand with the college to do more with less – and to serve our community.

We won’t let you down.

Should you have any questions, please contact me or our donor stewardship manager, Donna Marino, at (407) 582-3128 or dmarino@valenciacc.edu. To learn more about Valencia Foundation, visit us at www.valencia.org.

Warmly,
Geraldine Gallagher, CFRE
President and CEO
Valencia Foundation

house passed tax extenders bill

On December 9, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the Tax Extenders Act of 2009. The $31 billion bill will extend over 40 tax provisions from 2009 to the end of 2010. Major tax provisions include extension of the research and development credit, the teachers’ supplies deduction and seven charitable provisions.

There are seven charitable provisions in the extenders bill. These are as follows:

1. IRA Charitable Rollover — Distributions will be permitted up to $100,000 per year for IRA owners directly from the IRA to charity.
2. Food Inventory Gifts — Businesses may give food inventory to charity and receive an enhanced deduction for gifts of apparently wholesome food.
3. Computer Equipment — Corporations may receive an enhanced deduction for gifts of computers to educational organizations.
4. Book Inventory — Corporations may receive enhanced deductions for gifts of books to elementary and secondary schools.
5. Subchapter S Corporations — A Subchapter S corporation may gift appreciated property and the shareholder benefits from the full deduction.
6. Conservation Property — Gifts of conservation property qualify for expanded deductions and longer carry-forwards.
7. Rent Payments to Parent Charities — Fair value rent payments by subsidiaries will not be unrelated taxable income to the parent charity.

Editors Note: This list of tax extenders is nearly certain to be passed by both House and Senate. However, because the Senate has in the past objected to these revenue-raising provisions, it may be 2010 before the final extenders bill is passed.

For more information please visit Valencia Planned Giving website.

valencia magic night

Valencia Alumni & FACC gather to watch Orlando Magic battle the Toronto Raptors on Wed, Dec. 16 @ 7:00 pm

Valencia friends, alumni, staff, family and students are invited to take part in Valencia Night with the Orlando Magic!  Don’t miss your chance to see the 2009 Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic battle the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. at the Amway Arena. 

Ticket info is online with details on an optional Valencia pre-game reception that will take place in the suite level overlooking downtown Orlando. After the game, a group picture will be taken on the court.

See you at Valencia Night with the Orlando Magic!

cfre designation

VALENCIA FOUNDATION STAFF MEMBER AWARDED
CERTIFIED FUND RAISING EXECUTIVE (CFRE) DESIGNATION

Orlando, FL – CFRE International has named Donna Marino, Valencia Foundation’s donor stewardship manager, a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Marino joins over 5,400 professionals around the world who hold the CFRE designation and has met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, demonstrated fundraising achievement and a commitment of service to Valencia Foundation and Valencia Community College. CFRE candidates must pass an exam which tests the knowledge, skills and abilities required of a fundraising executive.

“The CFRE process was developed as a way to identify for the public and employers those individuals who possess the knowledge, skills and commitment to perform fundraising duties in an effective, conscientious, ethical and professional manner,” states Susan Davies Goepp, CFRE, chair of CFRE International. “Achievement of the Certified Fund Raising Executive credential demonstrates the level of commitment on the part of Donna to herself and the profession as a whole.”

CFRE recipients are awarded certification for a three-year period. In order to maintain certification status, members must continue to demonstrate ongoing fundraising employment, fundraising results and continue with their professional education.

CFRE International is an independent organization whose sole mission is dedicated to the certification of fundraising executives by setting standards of philanthropy.

Valencia Foundation provides the margin of excellence for which Valencia Community College has long been known. The foundation is a separate, not-for-profit, IRS-approved 501(c)3 corporation chartered in 1974 with the objective of financially providing for the educational needs of students that cannot be met through state or federal assistance. Valencia Foundation’s mission is to enhance learning, workforce training and economic development in Central Florida through the support of scholarships, teaching chairs, programs and buildings for Valencia Community College.

For more information or to make a donation, please call (407)582-3150 or visit www.VALENCIA.org.

alas, alumni welcome!

Did you know that annual alumni membership is absolutely free at Valencia?

Please take a moment to reconnect and get involved with exciting Alumni Association benefits and events.  We invite you to fill out the membership registration form online today!

Already a member?   Please complete the alumni class notes online. We’d like to know what you’ve been doing: new job, new degree, new adventure, new babies . . . all stories are welcome!

making strides at urban flats

You are cordially invited to attend a happy hour full of free flowing wine and food, all the while benefiting a great cause:  American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Please join Valencia Community College and the Valencia Volunteers at Urban Flats in downtown Orlando from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday October 29^th. 

Everyone is welcome to enjoy Urban Flat’s normal Happy Hour OR purchase a $20 ticket at the door which includes the following:

–  all you care to drink wine or non-alcoholic beverages
–  all you can eat food: flat breads, salad, dessert

$15 from every ticket goes to American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer!

Wait, there’s more:
* Advance ticket purchases will receive a free drink/cocktail coupon (yes, wine is free).  Contact Becca Shevlin at rshevlin@valenciacc.edu or 407-582-5567.
*  Free parking in the Plaza Parking Garage: Urban Flats will validate
* Drawing for Orlando Magic basketball signed by the 2009 team and  $100 gift card to Club 23, Back Room, or Mako’s with drawing at the end of the night.

going for gold

Valencia’s new special events center going for gold!

This week, Orlando Sentinel highlights Valencia’s work on current and upcoming LEED gold buildings.
Florida trails the nation in environmentally friendly architecture — OrlandoSentinel.com

Excerpt:   The cost of going for gold adds about 2.5 percent to the cost of construction, according to officials at Valencia, which soon stands to have three gold certifications in its portfolio. The new special-events center on the school’s west Orlando campus is now vying for gold LEED, with such features as toilets that use filtered rainwater collected in an underground cistern. Designed by Orlando’s Hunton Brady Architects, the showcase building — which also holds the school’s culinary-arts program — optimizes its use of daylight and its views of Lake Pamela while minimizing the effects of direct sunlight. Reflective roofing materials and crushed limestone walkways help ward off the heat.

“It’s all about return on investment,” said Valencia President Sanford C. Shugart. “For public buildings, we’ve been in a period in the last two or three years when both capital and operating resources have been scarce, but it’s usually a good strategy to spend more on capital to save on operating.”

In addition to saving on power and water bills, the structures have carpet and paint intended to decrease allergens and, possibly, health-care costs. Paying extra to go for gold is “kind of a gamble” in terms of monetary pay backs because of uncertainties in the oil markets, Shugart said. But, he added, working toward top-level certifications also says something about how a company perceives its role in the larger community.

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community

 by Dr. Sanford Shugart
President, Valencia Community College
 Vitae, Summer/Fall ’09

Many of you have been reading about community colleges in Florida adding bachelor’s degrees to their programs, changing their names to “college” or “state college,” and other issues swirling around the future of our system. In the last issue of Vitae, I promised an update on these issues with a focus on Valencia’s direction.

Background

First, it is important to note that Florida is, in fact, under-built for undergraduate education. As far into the future as I can see, the metropolitan areas in central and south Florida will have significantly more demand for freshmen seats than supply. This is a result of improving school performance over the past decade leading to more graduates and an even larger percentage of high school graduates prepared for and seeking admission to college. In addition, the burgeoning regional universities (UCF, USF, FIU) that were nearly open door a decade ago are filled to undergraduate capacity and managing demand as they always have, by raising admissions standards. Thus at UCF, where more than 70 percent of applicants were accepted for admission just 10 years ago, only 45 percent are today. This situation has created very real access challenges in these several metropolitan areas, challenges not seen in the rural areas of North Florida, the Panhandle, or even Southeast Florida.

Meanwhile, the number of Florida community colleges offering a few bachelor’s degrees in occupational areas such as teaching, nursing, and applied technologies has steadily grown since 2000. These programs were intended to meet very specific needs that were unlikely to be met by universities, not to signal a break from the traditional mission and programs of the best community college system in the country; many, however, including me, considered these programs to have been the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent, a “slippery slope” on which “mission drift” would be difficult to manage, a conclusion now hard to avoid.

By last spring, some 14 colleges out of the 28 had either added one or more bachelor’s degrees or signaled their intention to do so, while strange new names were appearing – Daytona State College, Northwest Florida State College, etc. Then, pretty much out of the blue and without consultation with the State Board of Education or the community colleges’ Council of Presidents, a bill appeared in the legislature attempting to break up the system into two tiers comprising 20 or more community colleges and some three to nine “state colleges.”

The bill was full of special interest, some of which you have read in the press, and was deeply divisive within our college system. In the end, some of the worst thinking in the bill was blunted and two task forces were created to recommend further details on the new Florida College System. They met through the year and presented their findings to the legislature at just about the time the issues surrounding the now resigned speaker of the house, the bill’s sponsor, were unraveling.

At present, a bill has been introduced in both the House and the Senate to round out the details of the new system. It is my hope that it will retain the character of our system – one college system, not two; serious governance and oversight of limited bachelor’s degrees by the State Board of Education; one funding formula with bachelor’s degrees funded at no advantage over associate degrees; and serious limits on the percentage of one’s enrollment that can come from the upper-division programming, a way of guarding the core mission of the community college. The next few weeks will tell if the state’s policy leaders can get us back on track.

“The college is what the students experience, no more and no less.”

Valencia’s Future Regarding Bachelor’s Degrees

So what may be in Valencia’s future with regard to bachelor’s degrees? As I have often said to my colleagues around the state and country, “The college is what the students experience, no more and no less.” So we always ask, “What do we want our students to experience?” As access to the freshman class at UCF began to be seriously constrained, especially for place-bound local students, we asked just this question. Our answer was that our first preference for our students was unfettered access to the whole range of established degrees at UCF.  You see, offering degrees of our own would consume all of our discretionary resources for years to come, and even after 10 years might provide only 15 or 20 degree options.

So we opted to push our relationship with UCF, signing an agreement guaranteeing all Valencia graduates with an A.A. degree admission to UCF and calling for UCF to bring dozens of new degree programs to our campuses. We call this program “Direct Connect” and will celebrate a milestone in this partnership this fall by opening a 100,000-square-foot university center on our West Campus to serve upward of 5,000 upper-division and graduate students.

Is this working? Frankly, this may be the most powerful partnership of its kind in the world. Valencia currently has more than 27,000 students in Direct Connect (compared to 2,700 statewide in community college bachelor’s degrees) with rapidly expanding options for bachelor’s degrees in business, accounting, education, nursing, and engineering. In Fall 2010, the upper division of the region’s first architectural design degree will be added exclusively at Valencia in partnership with UCF. And for the first time, Valencia and UCF are working together to generate major philanthropic support to 2+2 scholarships.

Will Valencia ever add its own bachelor’s degrees and change its name? Ever is a long time, and actually our agreement with UCF permits the offering of bachelor’s degrees should a clear need arise. I hope, however, that this would be a very rare occurrence and that any such decision would be made together in the spirit of our deep partnership. Should the state’s naming conventions change, I suppose we’d study the matter to determine, again, what is in the best interest of our students, but personally I’d hate to lose the word “community.”  It says so much about who we are — all of us, including you, our alumni.

(Reprinted from Community, Summer/Fall 2009 VITAE Magazine Issue 4)

 http://www.valenciacc.edu/alumni/documents/Vitae_Summer-Fall09.pdf

thankful words

K. Vazquez, a 2008-2009 scholarship recipient, expressed her gratitude to the foundation:

I would like to thank you for your donation that has allowed me to continue my education at Valencia Community College. I know that I am blessed and you have provided a sense of security and self-worth with your donation. I am so grateful that I am in a position that will help me in my future. You have enabled me to continue striving, and I promise to do so.

I wish that I could find the sophisticated words that would describe what I am feeling, even as I type this letter, my heart is full of well wishes and my eyes try to fight back the tears. But all I can say is ‘thank you’. I hope that this letter makes you feel a great deal of satisfaction and happiness that you have given me.

I remember when I checked my e-mail and I saw the good news, my mother started dancing in the kitchen as I read her the letter, she looked as if a burden was taken off her shoulders, and I knew that it had been. Thank you for making my mom dance and jump around; that was the second gift you gave. You don’t know how much seeing that means to me. Thank you.

-K. Vazquez

time, talent and treasure

There are ways to give other than money.  A collection of musically talented faculty, staff, and friends–-fondly called The Rogue Scholars–have found a way to put their talent to work.  Contributing a love of rock-n-roll with their passion to help others, this band will perform at Valencia Osceola Campus Building 2 this Friday, July 24 at 7 PM. The modest $5 cover is designated for the Jane Dewey and Monty Bilyue Emergency Healthcare Services Scholarship benefiting Valencia Students. 

Another scholar, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, once said “Give what you have; to someone it may be better than you dare to think”.  To my new Rogue Scholar friends I say: thank you for what you have – both your time and your talents are appreciated!

courageous conversations to support our learners

I read an article this weekend in the New York Times about how the economy is impacting the ability of students to afford tuition and of foundations and colleges to offer scholarships.

The article, “Scholarships for College Dwindle as Providers Pull Back Their Support,” paints a dismal picture of a perfect storm: At the same time families are struggling financially, institutions are cutting back on private student aid.

There’s a logic to a conservative approach by the leaders in higher education and nonprofits, to ensure their sustainability and long-term fiscal health.

Yet, if our mission is to serve students, how do we back down when the need has never been more urgent?

Valencia Foundation’s board asked itself that same question in many discussions over the past six months. They weren’t always easy conversations and the questions were challenging: Are we who we say we are if we take the easy way out? How do we ensure we meet our fiduciary responsibility for the financial future of the foundation? What if things get worse?

My observation is that the questions were a necessary part of the board’s due diligence but, as I watched, the outcome seemed to be a forgone conclusion. Their intention was to meet our mission and assist our students, whatever it takes.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t some “yikes” moments along the way.

The next question was how, and that was a little simpler: We will raise the necessary unrestricted, new dollars to maintain our support from last year — and maybe even increase it a bit. That allows the endowment to recover at the same time that students are served.

The next steps will be less simple, securing those dollars. Over the past five years, the foundation tripled its disbursement of scholarship dollars, so the price tag is not modest and donors are tightening their philanthropic belts. (This reality inspired most of the yikes moments. :-))

It was a courageous commitment — official early this month — that runs counter to the strategy many nonprofits are taking, which is to await the economic upturn so they can return to normalcy. I can’t help wondering: At what price comes safety?

We have a volunteer board of 60 local leaders who “get it.” They are in this for the students and never forget they are our first priority.

Together with our loyal donors, we’ll make it happen. I have no doubt.

it’s not because of us . . .

This month has really impressed upon me how much of the foundation’s good work isn’t of our own design but that of small community groups working for a larger purpose.

I recently traveled to the Osceola/Kissimmee area for a meeting of the Hispanic Business Council. This didn’t seem to be formal meeting with strict adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order (although I’m sure Robert was there somewhere) and I was awed by the camaraderie of individuals gathered. They shared—not reported—with each other updates on government budgets and spending, with guidance from representatives from local agencies and, my favorite, discussed what could be done to continue to support students with scholarships. I witnessed community and business leaders coming together for more than just business networking and lunch – they were coming together for the good of their community and all it encompassed.

Every year two organizations, Commercial Real Estate of Woman and American Institute of Architects, each hold a golf tournament using their organization’s resources and membership to host the event. Last Friday at the AIA tournament, Valencia student Dominique Walker thanked AIA for the opportunity to continue his studies in building construction. These two groups, seemingly unrelated to Valencia, do more with these tournaments than fund membership event, they fund a future for students.

Tuesday I met with three Rotary Club of Southwest Orlando members to look at how they can effectively utilize their current scholarship budget to help students defer college costs.  Over a glass of iced tea these gentlemen impressed upon me that they really take the Rotary club’s motto  ‘service above self’ to heart. This group is committed to making the world around them just a bit better — in any modest way they can.

These groups and organizations aren’t doing good work because of the Valencia Foundation. They are preparing their community, no matter how it’s defined, for a better future. It’s the leadership, guidance, and foresight of our donors, people just like you, who want to create a better place for others.  The support Valencia Foundation provides to students: It’s not because of us . . . it’s because of you.

— Donna

welcome and thanks for stopping by

Welcome to our new home on the web. I hope you’ll spend a few minutes exploring and share with us your thoughts on how to make this blog rock. Our five staff bloggers (the Bloggettes?) will be joined occasionally by guest authors. Would you like to be one?

Here is why I care about this college and its people.

Valencia is a place of great hope. You see it in the faces of our students. You witness it in the nurturing hands of faculty and staff members who guide students through their learning odysseys and help them overcome hurdles. On commencement day, hope is manifest as graduates – some proudly, some humbly and others doing a little jig – cross the stage to accept their hard-earned diplomas. Countless, for the first time ever, are optimistic about their futures.

While our nation faces enormous challenges, it is comforting to know that hope abides.

What is even more heartening is to watch our students’ hope evolve, little by little, into faith:  faith that they can withstand challenges and not only survive but thrive; faith in their own abilities and intelligence; faith that allows them to accept help from others.

Among the knowledge gained at Valencia, perhaps the most important lesson a student can learn is to keep faith with himself.