August 2012
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In This Issue
Summer 2012 Commencement
Innovation Grants Luncheon
Foundation Board Honors Members
International Programs at SPC
SPC Foundation Staff
In Memoriam
Create a Legacy
Class Notes
Quick Links




SPC Foundation
Board of Directors
Kenneth P. Cherven
Chairman

Joseph G. Blanton
Stephen O. Cole
William A. Emerson
Edward L. Evans
Theresa Furnas*
Rod Gramer
Calvin D. Harris, Ed.D.
Beth A. Horner
William D. Law*
Willie H. "Bill" McCloud
Frances Neu*
Walter L. "Skip" Schafer Jr.
Steven Shepard
Shan Shikarpuri
Richard B. Winning
David Zillig

Directors Emeriti
Dan Carlisle
Leon R. Hammock
Helen K. Leslie
Alfred T. May
Thelma Rothman
Henry B. Sayler

Honorary Director
Wendell R. Ware

*Ex officio members



This month, two familiar faces will retire from the Foundation Board of Directors. Helen Leslie and Al May have provided tireless leadership, thoughtful guidance and generous support to the Foundation over a combined 36 years of service. We will greatly miss their regular participation at Foundation Board meetings, but are heartened by their continued involvement with the Foundation as Directors Emeriti. All of us at the College extend our deepest gratitude to Helen and Al for their contributions to our college and our community.

 

In addition to the outstanding leadership of our current and past Board of Directors, the Foundation has assembled a team of dedicated and loyal professionals who help accomplish the mission of the Foundation on a daily basis. I am pleased to introduce the Foundation staff to you this issue.

 

As we prepare for the beginning of the 2012-13 academic year on August 20, we look forward to continuing our efforts to increase community involvement and investment in the work of the College and the success of our students.

 

Sincerely,

Frances Neu
VP Advancement, St. Petersburg College
Executive Director, St. Petersburg College Foundation
Summer 2012 Commencement
Over 1,200 graduates receive diplomas 
 
Surrounded by families, friends and flashing phones and cameras, St. Petersburg College's summer 2012 graduates celebrated their achievements during the 119th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, July 21 at the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks in Largo. About 2,000 people -- among them proud parents, friends, siblings and children -- attended the event along with SPC faculty and staff. 

 

The more than 1,200 graduates earned associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and certificates in areas ranging from International Business to Nursing and including the first graduates of the College's Public Policy and Administration program. 

 

SPC President Bill Law congratulated the students and their families on their achievements, saying "you've invested much in your education; now, take pride in the contributions you will make to your professions, families and communities."   

 

Graduates also heard words of encouragement from two of their peers. Deniann Grant, who will transfer to the University of Florida, was the lower division student speaker. Grant has served as the president of the St. Petersburg/ Gibbs Campus Student Government Association and the Chief Executive Officer for the transitional team of MYRA (Make Your Radio Active) Radio Network.  

 

"Here at SPC there's a place for everyone," Grant told the crowd, explaining how the college offers an affordable education for thousands of students from a variety of backgrounds. Attending SPC, she said, allowed her to grow as a person and a leader.

 

Juan Otazu represented the upper division. A retired master sergeant who served in the U.S Air Force for 24 years, Otazu received a bachelor's degree in nursing. "It's passion not a pedigree that will win in the end," Otazu said in his speech. Speaking about his own experiences to earn his degree, he won the audience's admiration as he told them not to be afraid to start from the bottom and to persevere as they moved forward in life. 

Foundation Celebrates Innovative Education
First annual Innovation Grants Initiative Luncheon held
 

The SPC Foundation held its first annual Innovation Grants Initiative Luncheon on Friday, July 27 at the Hilton Carillon Park. The event, sponsored by Raymond James, brought together Innovation Grant recipients and program supporters to showcase the grant recipients' work. 

L to R: Innovation Grants supporter Helen Gilbart with Foundation Board members Joe Blanton, Steve Cole and Steve Shepard

 

Following a lively welcome by a jazz duet that included Fine Arts

professor and Innovation Grant recipient Dr. David Manson, luncheon guests had the opportunity to learn how the Foundation grants are helping to promote student success at St. Petersburg College.

 

Representing the 12 Innovation Grant recipients for 2012, Associate Professor of Natural Science Dr. Ray Menard kicked off the presentations by expressing his gratitude on behalf of all recipients. "Because of this grant opportunity, SPC faculty, staff and students are able to think creatively about how to enhance the educational experience and then we can actually make it happen," Menard said.

 

Guests interact with students from Dr. Shannon McQuaig's microbiology research group, an Innovation Grant-funded program

In addition to formal presentations from Dr. Meg Delgato, Director of Curriculum and Student Success; Jeff Cavanagh, Veteran Affairs Coordinator; Dr. Shannon McQuaig, Natural Science Professor; and Karen Hesting, Instructional Design Technologist, grant recipients Beth Carlson, Sign Language Professor, Patricia Hanrahan, Director of Curriculum and Program Management, and 2011 grant recipient Nancy Munce, Instructional Technologist, were also on hand to discuss their projects with guests over lunch.

 

The Foundation's Innovation Grants Initiative provides grants of up to $3,500 for projects that deepen the college experience and advance student achievement. A selection committee comprised of college, Foundation and community representatives has awarded more than $60,000 in grants since the program's inception in 2011. For more information, please visit the Innovation Grants page.

Foundation Board Honors Members
Helen Leslie and Al May retire from Board of Directors 

 

The Foundation Board of Directors celebrated the contributions of retiring Board members Helen Leslie and Al May at the Board's Annual meeting on August 2. In recognition of their combined 36 years of service, Foundation Chairman Joe Blanton read a proclamation praising their steadfast service and honoring their impressive support of St. Petersburg College students.

 

Helen Leslie joined the Foundation Board in 1995. As a former

student, Leslie was the only female in her mechanical drawing class when she enrolled at St. Petersburg Junior College in 1940. In 1943,

she graduated from Auburn University with a B.S. in Business Administration as one of only two female graduates in the Business College.

Leslie reacts to Chairman Blanton's words of gratitude for her support of the college
 

Beyond her success as a business leader, Leslie has been active in a variety of local, state, national and international organizations including the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. In 1997, Ms. Leslie established the Helen K. Leslie Endowed Scholarship Fund at the SPC Foundation. Through her generous support of this fund, Leslie has provided inspiration and financial support to 53 students as they pursue their educational goals. This year, Leslie was named St. Petersburg College Outstanding Alumna in honor of her accomplishments and contributions to the College. 

 

Al May joined the St. Petersburg College Foundation Board of Directors in 1993. He is a 1958 graduate of St. Petersburg Junior College and received the SPC Outstanding Alumni

May listens as Chairman Blanton reads the proclamation praising his service to SPC

Award in 2001. A well-known leader in the banking community, May served as President and Chairman of Republic Bank before retiring. He has been a staunch supporter of the arts in the Tampa Bay area and has served on the Boards of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. May created the Al May Alumni Scholarship at the SPC Foundation in 1996. Since then, 164 St. Petersburg College students have benefited from May's largess and his commitment to providing educational opportunities to graduates of Pinellas County public schools.

 

In recognition of the important role Helen and Al have played at the Foundation, Chairman Blanton announced that the Foundation Board has established and funded two additional term scholarships in their honor; the Helen Leslie Scholarship for International Study and the Al May Scholarship for Vocal Performance will be awarded later this year.

International Programs Growing at St. Petersburg College
College welcomes new Director 
 
Ramona Kirsch has been named the Director of International Programs at St. Petersburg College. Prior to joining SPC, Kirsch was the Director of International Education at the College of Central Florida. She has 17 years of experience in higher education, more than 10 of which have been in international education. 
Ramona Kirsch at the Taj Mahal

 

Kirsch is a recipient of three unique Fulbright awards: a Fulbright Research Fellow- ship, through which she conducted research in Austria for her graduate degree in 2002-03; an English Teaching Assistantship, which allowed her to teach in Vienna, Austria in 2003-04; and the Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators Seminar award, through which she traveled to India in April 2011.

 

Kirsch's appointment is part of a larger college-wide initiative to increase international education at St. Petersburg College. To ensure more students gain the skills necessary to thrive in our ever-changing global marketplace, SPC President Bill Law has issued a challenge to the Foundation to secure funding to underwrite 60 study abroad scholarships. The average cost of a study abroad scholarship is $2,500. Those interested in supporting the President's Challenge may make a gift to the Study Abroad Scholarship Fund online or by sending a check to the SPC Foundation at P.O. Box 13489, St. Petersburg, FL 33733.

SPC Foundation Team
Meet the Foundation staff

 

L to R: Christine Carter, Kristi Kuhn, Edel Quinn, Theresa Afify, Tiffany Stallard, Jocelyn Carpenter

Edel Quinn is the Chief Financial Officer for the Foundation and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Florida. She oversees the Foundation's scholarship funds and endowments and has been with the Foundation since 2005.  

 

Tiffany Stallard is the Foundation Development Officer. She works with donors to establish new scholarship funds and serves as the Associate Director of the Alumni Association. Prior to joining the Foundation staff in 2007, she worked for the Girl Scouts in Texas and North Carolina and KENW-TV, a public channel, in New Mexico.  

 

Jocelyn Carpenter is the Foundation Database Administrator and Program Manager. She led the Foundation's transition to a new database system last year and continues to manage the database, website and e-communications for the Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Jocelyn worked in the Advancement Office at Eckerd College.

 

Christine Carter is the Curator of the Foundation's art collection, an impressive compilation of art donated to the Foundation over the years. Chris manages and oversees the installation of art across SPC properties, coordinates the acquisition of new pieces, and develops exhibits and loans to local museums. Previously, Christine was the Curator of the Florida International Museum and Gulf Coast Museum of Art.  

 

Theresa Afify is the Foundation Scholarship Coordinator. She manages the scholarship application and selection process and is currently transitioning the Foundation to a new application system to improve the efficiency of the process for both students and selection committees. Theresa came to SPC from Binghamton University in New York after 7 years in Student and Academic Affairs.

 

Kristi Kuhn is the Administrative Specialist for the Foundation. She coordinates the daily operations of the Foundation office and assists in planning a variety of Foundation meetings and functions. Prior to joining the Foundation, Kristi served as Staff Assistant in the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Petersburg. 

In Memoriam

 

Long-time Seminole Campus faculty member Dr. Robert Meyer died Monday, July 16, following a lengthy illness. Dr. Meyer was a well-recognized Fulbright Scholar with vast experience in the hospitality and tourism field. He joined St. Petersburg College in 1997 and became the driving force behind the creation and operation of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Associate in Science degree and certificate programs. He is survived by his son, Tim. Seminole Campus faculty members have established the Robert Meyer Hospitality Scholarship Fund in Dr. Meyer's memory. To continue Dr. Meyer's legacy and support this fund, please use our online form or send your donation to P.O. Box 13489 St. Petersburg, FL, 33733.

Create a Legacy

 

Bequests, charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, IRAs and gifts of property are some of the ways you can provide significant and lasting support to SPC. To learn how your planned gift can meet your financial objectives while supporting the work of the College and the aspirations of students, call us at 727-341-3302. Change a life today!

Class Notes

 

Class of 2011: Andrea Wislotsky, B.S. in Nursing, is currently pursuing a master's/Family Nurse Practitioner degree at USF. Andrea was recently elected as a State Democratic Delegate representing Congressional District #10 in Pinellas County and attended the State Democratic Delegate Convention in June. She has worked in the Intensive Care Unit at St. Petersburg General Hospital for 10 years and plans to use her education and skills to promote wellness throughout the community. Andrea feels she owes her accomplishments to the solid foundation she received at St. Petersburg College. 

 

Class of 2005: William Hornbeck, A.A., graduated from the University of South Florida in 2007 and continued his education at Stetson Law School where he earned his law degree in 2011. He now practices law on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.

 

Class of 1994: Seth Bailey, A.S. in Nursing, worked in an Emergency Room in North Carolina for 10 years before returning to a career in Law Enforcement. He is currently employed as a detective, investigating sex crimes and child abuse, which allows him to continue to utilize his nursing degree. Seth has also earned a master's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati and an M.B.A. from Northcentral University.

 

Class of 1990: Danielle Sylvester, A.A., went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Florida State University in 1992.

 

Stephen Montague

Class of 1963: Stephen Montague, A.A., has been living in London since 1974 where he works as a freelance composer and conductor. His works have been performed worldwide by numerous artists and orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Ballet, and on international venues such as the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall and Centre Pompidou, Paris. Southern Lament, a CD recording of his piano works, won the 2006 International Piano Magazine's Best New Music Recording of the Year award.

  

To share your accomplishments with your fellow alumni, email Tiffany Stallard.

P.O. Box 13489 | St. Petersburg, FL 33733-3489 | 727-341-3302 
� St. Petersburg College Foundation 2011