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Clark County Skills Center Foundation

Supporting Education that Works

Your dollar is more than just a dollar if donated to The Clark County Skills Center Foundation. Its value is multiplied many times over when invested with other gifts to support students and technical career programs offered at the Skills Center.

Philanthropy can transform the lives of Skills Center students through scholarships, leadership opportunities, and classroom learning with state-of-the-art technology.

Mike Anderson, former Chairman of the Board, Clark County Skills Center Foundation, said, “I recently came across a quote by the famous New York Yankee Philosopher Yogi Berra. Yogi said, ‘If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.’ I can't tell you how many students I have had the pleasure of talking to--who didn't know where they were going until they found a purpose and a direction at the Skills Center.”

Mike Anderson is Commander at the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and has two sons who are graduates of the Skills Center. His oldest son Chris was in the Criminal Justice Program graduating in 1999. Chris started off in the Sheriff's Office Cadet Program nine years ago has been a custody officer the past seven years. Bruce was a graduate from the Automotive Program in 2001, attended PCC Rock Creek Auto Body Program and is currently the Parts Manager for Kadel's Cascade Auto Body in Vancouver.

The Foundation was established in 1994 to encourage and honor private giving to the Skills Center. The goal is to promote a tradition of philanthropy for high priority needs and for endowment gifts. Donors can support the Center in a variety of ways, and a gift can be applied where the donor decides it will bring the most benefits.

Major donors include:

• ABM
• Anderson Family Charitable Fund
• Bemis Company Foundation
• Biggs Insurance Company
• Caesy Educational Systems
• Caterpillar, Inc.
• Clark College
• Clark County Lodging Association
• Columbia Credit Union
• The Columbian
• The Community Foundation of Southwest Washington
• Cowlitz Bank
• EDT Corporation
• FBR Realty
• First Independent
• Ed and Mary Firstenburg
• John & Pam Garofalo
• Halton Company
• Hermitage, Inc.
• Hewlett Packard Giving Campaign
• Ray Hickey Foundation
• Homewood Suites by Hilton
• Robert & Mary Hyde
• iQ Credit Union
• Dennis Kampe
• Lang Brothers General Contracting
• Emily LaPlante
• Ed and Dollie Lynch
• Metro Portland New Car Dealers Assoc.
• Nies Community Insurance
• Northwest Natural
• Mr. & Mrs. Augusta Persa
• Portland Community College
• Carolyn and George Propstra, through the Community Foundation for SW Washington
• Realvest Corporation
• Riverview Community Bank
• Gayle Rothrock
• SouthWest Washington Medical Center
• SWIFT
• Team Construction
• Twinstar Credit Union
• Umpqua Bank
• United Harvest LLC
• WA Credit Union Foundation
• Wells Fargo

Team Construction, iQ Credit Union, Biggs Insurance Company, Columbia Credit Union and ABM have made multi-year pledges, and “We are most grateful for their generosity,” said Dennis Kampe, Skills Center Director.

The Foundation Board of Directors, who provides financial stewardship for the philanthropic funds, represents a diverse group of enthusiastic, talented business and civic leaders from Southwest Washington who serve as advocates and ambassadors for the Skills Center and its Director.

The Foundation Board of Directors includes:

• Chairperson, Karen Ciocia, Normandeau Associates
• Vice Chair, Casey Wyckoff, LSW Architects, PC
• Treasurer, Martin Oreschnigg, CPA
• Secretary, Connie Kratovil, Senior Program/Project Manager, PB
• Randy Burns, General Manager, Tidewater Barge Lines
• Kristine Davis, Senior Vice President, First Independent Bank
• Greg Flakus, Owner, GF Strategies
• David N. Fuhrer, President and CFO, Realvest Corporation
• Dennis Kampe, Director, Clark County Skills Center
• Dean Mannello, The Sherwood Group
• Tim Probst, Washington State Representative and CEO, Washington Workforce Association
• Gayle Rothrock, Community Leader
• Carolyn Propstra, Community Leader
• Jill Sasser, Landerholm, Memovich, et al
  

The Board of Directors encourages unrestricted and endowment giving. Unrestricted gifts enable the Board to designate funding for the areas of most critical needs. Gifts to grow the endowment fund will ensure long range financial planning is possible through availability of annual interest income.

“Our Board is blessed by very special people who have a deep commitment to youth, education and our community,” said Coulthard. I would like to thank all our Board members and all our donors who have supported this wonderful institution.”

How to make a gift to the Foundation:

• Cash donations
• Stock Transactions
• Bequests
• Trust Arrangements
• Real Estate/Properties

The Clark County Skills Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. As the Skills Center receives no bond or levy money, philanthropy is a vital part of its financial base.

For more information please contact
Barbara Ainslie
(360) 604-1050
barbara.ainslie@evergreenps.org