NMCC receives $5 million gift
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
TIMOTHY CROWLEY, president of Northern Maine Community College, explains how the $5 million gift by Presque Isle native Mary Barton Akeley Smith will be used to renovate and repurpose two existing facilities at NMCC. The 9,000 square foot building which now houses the college dining commons on the north end of campus will be transformed into the Rodney Smith Center for Fitness and Occupational Wellness in memory of Smith’s late husband. The 14,000 square foot facility that is now the college gymnasium and sits in the center of the campus will become the new Akeley Student Center in honor of Smith’s parents and family.
PRESQUE ISLE — The largest monetary gift ever given by a private donor to a Maine community college was announced last Wednesday on the Northern Maine Community College campus.
Presque Isle native Mary Barton Akeley Smith, who resides in California, has donated $5 million which will be used to fund two significant projects that will have a “transformative impact” on the campus.
Smith’s philanthropic ventures are well known to the residents of the Star City as last year she supported the college with a $1.2 million gift that greatly advanced the school’s alternative energy program offerings. In addition, she also made possible the expansion of the city’s Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library with a $1 million contribution.
VICKI SMITH,
chair of the Northern Maine Community College Foundation board, announces the largest monetary gift ever given by a private donor to a Maine community college last Wednesday at a press conference held at NMCC. Mary Barton Akeley Smith, originally from Presque Isle, has donated $5 million to the local college which will be used to fund two significant projects that will have a “transformative impact” on the campus. “This is truly a pivotal moment in the 50-year history of Northern Maine Community College,” said Vicki Smith, NMCC Foundation board chair. “Words cannot express our profound gratitude to Mrs. Smith. Her impact on this campus, on higher education, and on this community cannot be overstated. The support she has shown and confidence she has entrusted to all of us as stewards of this fine institution is unparalleled.”
Smith’s donation provides the lion’s share of the $6 million needed to renovate and repurpose two existing facilities at NMCC. The 9,000 square foot building which now houses the college dining commons on the north end of campus will be transformed into the Rodney Smith Center for Fitness and Occupational Wellness in memory of Smith’s late husband. The 14,000 square foot facility that is now the college gymnasium and sits in the center of the campus will become the new Akeley Student Center in honor of Smith’s parents and family.
Efforts to both raise the $1 million to match Smith’s gift and begin the design and other pre-construction work get under way this month according to NMCC President Timothy Crowley. NMCC and NMCC Foundation officials have both committed to seeking other private and grant funds. The intent is to complete both construction projects over the next year and a half.
“The work that will be undertaken on our campus as a result of this very generous gift by Mrs. Smith will have a transformative impact on our service to students and the community,” said Crowley. “With this contribution, we can move forward with two key projects outlined in the college’s master plan (approved in 2005) that would not have otherwise been possible in these challenging economic times. We are pleased that Mrs. Smith shares our vision and commitment to the people of Aroostook County, and we are excited about having an opportunity to take a portion of our long range plan for NMCC and bring it to life.”
Crowley stressed the need for a new wellness center on campus to help ensure the future workforce of the region and state is physically able to perform the functions needed by employers. In addition to serving that function, the facility will be a gathering spot for students and community members, encouraging both social interaction and wellness activities from basic cardio fitness exercises to group exercise classes.
“This country and state has a tremendous challenge with the physical condition of the workforce. Employers do not want workers that are going to spend most of their time getting health care services because they’re not healthy,” said Crowley. “They want people that are going to be productive and competitive. We have an aging workforce, and we need to address this by talking about nutrition, health and activity, and we’ll do that with the new fitness center.
“The building of a fitness center on this campus will make it so that our students and the community are engaged in managing and taking care of their own health, which will create a healthier student body, a healthier workforce and we’ll be more competitive. Aroostook County needs to be competitive with its workforce if it’s going to grow,” he said.
The Akeley Student Center, to be created in the space now occupied by the college gymnasium, will house the new Reed Dining Commons, a student lounge, college bookstore, space for student organizations, student counseling, continuing education, and campus safety and security. The campus master plan calls for a second story to be added to the facility, which will increase the usable square footage without increasing the building footprint. It provides for the relocation of the dining commons and student gathering spots to a more centralized area to reflect the changing demographics of the student population. NMCC’s average student is currently 28 years old. As the number of non-traditional students has grown, the need to relocate such space to serve both the residential population and the large number of commuter students is evident.
Crowley said long range plans, which are not part of the $6 million plan, include building a new gymnasium which will be attached to the fitness center. He said in the short term, the college will work with the local public school and university systems in finding a place for the NMCC basketball teams to play.
To ensure both facilities best meet the needs of intended users, the college has formed an advisory group to work with the architect designing the plans. The committee has representation from the NMCC student body, alumni, college employees and community members. Smith has agreed to serve on the group and will travel from California to Presque Isle to take part in the Feb. 29 meeting.
The wellness center will bear the name of Smith’s late husband, who was a self-made man and philanthropist who achieved great success in Silicon Valley. Rodney Smith was a native of England, who, despite an impoverished youth and incredible odds, achieved extraordinary success in the United States as a businessman and pioneer in the semi-conductor industry.
The naming of the Akeley Student Center will reflect the contributions to the Aroostook County community by the Akeley family. Robert V. Akeley and Hope Greenlaw Akeley, Smith’s parents, both represented the best of the region’s famed work ethic throughout their careers.
Officials hope to begin the renovation work by August.
