Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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February 22, 2012

Local individuals, business honored during annual PMCCC dinner

KATE COIL Bluefield Daily Telegraph

PRINCETON — Several local residents and a local business were honored for their contributions to the Mercer County community Tuesday night at the 2012 Annual Princeton-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce Dinner.

Local businesses and community members gathered at the Chuck Mathena Center to honor the manager of a minor league baseball team, a pageant organizer, a local auto dealer and a high school band director as part of the festivities.

The 2012 Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Jim Holland, general manager of the Princeton Rays, for his contributions to the community through the baseball club. The 2012 Volunteer of the Year award went to Pat Whittaker of Adventure Radio for her community efforts, including organizing the Princeton-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Miss Autumnfest Pageant.

The 2012 EXCEL Business of the Year Award was presented to the Ramey Automotive Group for their participation in local business. Additionally, the Chamber gave out the special Eagle Award to Band Director Julie Kade and the Princeton Senior High School band. Keith Circle, executive assistant of PMCCC, said Kade is an asset to the award-winning band and much beloved by her students.

The guest speaker for the evening was Dr. Ted Spring, president of New River Community and Technical College. Spring recognized PMCCC President Robert Farley for his efforts on the NRCTC Board of Directors as well as Steven Wise, the dean of New River’s Mercer County campus, located in Princeton.

Spring addressed the crowd about the continuing and growing importance of community colleges like NRCTC in providing higher education and workforce training.

“There is a lot about New River that really merits enthusiasm,” Spring said. “I would like you all to understand our community colleges are all accelerating in terms of rapid growth and growing respect to providing a gateway to higher education. We give people a gateway to education, job training and retraining, and work with many people who want to transfer to a four-year college,” he said. “We work with students who were never told or who never thought they were ‘college material.’ Community colleges are the people’s colleges. We help these students realize their potential.”

Spring listed Billy Crystal, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Calvin Klein, Nolan Ryan, Joan London and H. Ross Perot as some well-known names that used community college as a stepping-stone to their success.  

According to Spring, community colleges have become an integral part of the education of medical professionals and law enforcement personnel. Spring said approximately 80 percent of new firefighters, law enforcement and emergency medical responders have community college education while 52 percent of nurses and health care officials attended community college as part of their education. Additionally, Spring said 30 percent of teachers begin their education at community colleges.

“New River is comprised of five individual community centers to address employment needs in the local community,” Spring said. “We offer a seamless transition from high school to the college level, dual enrollment with local high schools and technical schools and prep courses. Accessibility, affordability, and transferability help students and parents reduce the cost of education and not leave them in the mounting loan debt we have all been hearing about.”

Spring said community college also provides transitions to traditional four-year universities such as Bluefield State College or Concord University. Spring said presently almost 50 percent of four-year university students have transferred from community college.

In addition, Spring said college-educated individuals earn on average $8,000 more a year than those with only a high school diploma. He said community colleges like New River are making higher education more accessible and affordable for many.

Spring said community college makes education available to a wide variety of students.

“We believe — all of us — that everyone is part of not just a team but the team,” he said. “We want everyone — young and old, skilled and unskilled, over and under achievers — to use this opportunity to succeed.”

— Contact Kate Coil at kcoil@bdtonline.com

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