Y04ea HISTrORY, VISIONin & MISSION Review 05 FOUNDATION PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 06 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS 07 GCSC PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 08 STUDENT HIGHLIGHT - BRANDON WRITCH 10 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 11 GROWTH CHARTS 12 DONOR HIGHLIGHT - ST. JOE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 13 HIGH SCHOOL HONORS SCHOLARSHIP / COMMUNITY BENEFACTORS 14 STUDENT HIGHLIGHT - ALLISON REYNOLDS 16 2018 ANNUAL MEETING 18 2018 ANNUAL DINNER & DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS 20 EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHT - KATRINA PORTER 22 CUMULATIVE GIVING 24 STUDENT HIGHLIGHT - FRED STEVENSON 26 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT The Gulf Coast State College Foundation, Inc., (formerly Gulf Coast HCommunity College Foundation) was incorporated on October 16, 1967 by the State of Florida as a 501(c)(3) non-profitis corporation.tory Through the support from you, our visionary civic leaders, devoted faculty the needs of our military and The original charter was signed by Dr. Richard Morley, president of Gulf Coast at the time of the and staff, proud alumni, impassioned students and generous donors, we veteran students. forge into the future with determination and enthusiasm to continue the incorporation, Captain Mark Starkweather, Mrs. Mark Starkweather, Mrs. M.F. Parker, Mr. Amos Howard, And of course, the impact of Gulf Coast State College Foundation’s mission. The Foundation plays an Mr. John Moseley and Mr. Roland Vines. Since that time, the Foundation has grown considerably in Hurricane Michael will be felt instrumental role in ensuring access and hope to students. Through the membership and assets while remaining faithful to its original philosophy and purpose. by our community for years, support of our generous community, the Foundation has provided more but from this devastation, we than $25 million in scholarship and program support since 1967. On behalf of must seize the opportunity to the Foundation, I am excited to share this report with you, which highlights rebuild stronger and smarter. just some of the many successes we have collectively achieved this year. The best way to do that is to Mr. Floyd Skinner GCSC Foundation President As of June 2018, the Foundation assets were at $33 million, a 5% increase invest in the College to help from our prior fiscal year. The Foundation provided $1.2 million to the strengthen our economic College, which included $973,000 in scholarship support and more than welfare. As a result of the local crisis, the Foundation took the initiative and Based on the principles of trust and integrity, $240,000 in program support. announced the availability of relief grants to directly aid faculty, students and staff in need. is The Gulf Coast State College Foundation Military and Veteran Student the vision of the Gulf Coast State College Foundation V ion Emergency Fund was part of a special campaign called “Thanks a Emergency Hurricane funding has assisted 1,416 students and more than Million” which was a response to recent cuts to military pay and benefits 400 employees. More than $1 million has been awarded to the College: is to advance the causes of Gulf Coast State College. that have significantly magnified education costs for service members. $800,000 to students and $266,000 to employees. The Foundation’s primary The Foundation, with the leadership of Mr. William C. Cramer, Jr., raised fundraising focus for the future will continue to support the Hurricane Relief $1 million in just over one year and has provided 478 military and veteran Student and Employee Fund. Those designated funds will offer even more students with funding from the campaign. We hope that our community assistance to employees and students as the community rebuilds. will continue to help the Foundation remove any barriers for our heroes and Without the support of the Foundation Executive Committee, Board of support this fund. Directors, staff and you, we could not have provided a road of hope for so The 2018 Annual Dinner was very special with the continued celebration many students. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Foundation Directors and The Gulf Coast State College Foundation’s mission is to create a scholarship program providing educational of Gulf Coast State College’s 60th and the Foundation’s 50th anniversaries. staff, the GCSC District Board of Trustees, the College President, faculty, staff M The Annual Dinner was the public kick-off phase of the “Thanks a Million” and the benefactors of the Foundation. opportunities to deserving students. Further, the mission of thei Foundationss isi to enhanceo the educational programs n campaign and more than 400 guests were in attendance. The College and and student services available at Gulf Coast State College. Through the active involvement and leadership of Sincerely, Foundation were honored with Governor Scott as the keynote speaker, citizens united by these purposes, the Foundation serves as an effective liaison between GCSC and the community. and we truly appreciate his help in raising the community’s awareness of The Foundation assists the College in enriching the community through cultural opportunities and in enhancing the economic development of the community with educational programs. 4 5 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS GCSC PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE On Friday afternoon, October 5th, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical we’ve never met really care, and the seemingly endless lines of trucks of every sort Mr. Floyd Skinner, President Mary Sue Adams Jack Kerigan update for a broad area of weak disturbance off the coast of the Honduras/Nicaragua brought us back from the brink of hunger, sickness and despair. We helped each other border. By Sunday morning, October 7th, Tropical Depression 14 had formed from this pick up, clean up, and then begin to rebuild. We assessed damages, filed claims, James Anderson Tom King Mr. Joe Hamner, Vice President disturbance off the tip of Belize, with winds clocked at 35 mph. By Sunday afternoon and filled out lots of forms. We found out how dark that dark can really be, and we Lewis Baber Lisa Maner it had grown into Tropical Storm Michael, located 800 miles due south of Pensacola, cheered the night the lights came back on. We learned that when everyone smells Ms. Kelly McSpadden Hughes, Secretary with 50 mph winds and a forward speed, in no one smells, and that jeans really aren’t dirty until the knees don’t bend so well. A.J. Bacon Brendan Murphy our direction, of 3 mph. Then midday on We found out that doing without isn’t always a hardship, and that necessity really is Mr. Jerry Sowell, Jr., Treasurer Tony Bennett Tammy Newton October 10th, only 72 hours after it became the mother of invention. We also learned that things don’t matter nearly as much as a 40 mph named storm, Hurricane Michael we thought, but that people matter more than we ever possibly imagined. And, as it Mr. Joey Ginn, Past President Les Brackett Lori Pons roared ashore in the Florida panhandle as turns out, compassion and generosity trump greed and indifference every time! the 3rd strongest storm to ever hit North Hal Burleson Ann Marie Sale Our community and our College have been tried and tested in an unprecedented way, Mr. William C. Cramer, Jr., Advisor America, with sustained winds as high as and we have done well. We couldn’t change the cards we were dealt by the storm, Kathy Crowley Amal Sidani Tabbaa 166 mph and wind gusts clocked at close so we changed how we played the hand. We provided a state-of-the-art emergency Mr. Tom Gibson, Advisor to 200 mph or more. On that day our lives Jeff Di Benedictis Sandy Sims operations center and kept it running so that the incident response team members changed forever! could focus on the important things. When the airwaves went silent across the Mr. Clint Mayo, Advisor Frank Hall Don Sirmons The characterization of life in Northwest spectrum, WKGC came through loud and clear with accurate emergency information Florida after Hurricane Michael can and words of encouragement, hope, and understanding. The first responders we’ve Mr. Tom Lewis, Trustee Liaison Rebecca Hall-Cary David Southall perhaps best be made with a paraphrase of trained over the years made us proud and saved lives - lots of lives! With the help of Dr. John Holdnak, GCSC President Maureen Hess Charles Voorhis, III our incredible faculty and staff we reopened the College in only 27 days, when many Dr. John Holdnak, GCSC President the opening line in Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” - “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the season thought we were down for the count. Thanks to the support of sister colleges around Susan Hitt April Wilkes Mr. Charles Abbott (1910-2010), Director Emeritus of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of the state and country, we’ve used “Michael’s Pantry” to provide food, incidentals, and William Husfelt, III Caroline Windham despair, we had everything before us, and we had nothing before us...” In the briefest supplies for our students, employees, and their families. And thanks to the incredible Ms. Karen Hanes, Director Emeritus of moments our houses were destroyed, businesses flattened, belongings ruined, generosity of the Gulf Coast State College Foundation, we’ve been able to distribute a Trey Hutt and loved ones lost. A shake of the head could speak volumes when asked about the $1.5 million hand up to our students and employees, rather than trying to give them Dr. Robert L. McSpadden (1944-2015), Director Emeritus John Juchniewicz status of a home, yet words failed to convey the scope of destruction that surrounded a hand out. Our way ahead will not be an easy one, but life will get better, though it us.