{"id":1496,"date":"2023-12-06T20:00:20","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T01:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/?p=1496"},"modified":"2024-03-11T15:00:49","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T19:00:49","slug":"mcc-salutes-ralph-c-wilson-jr-foundation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/06\/mcc-salutes-ralph-c-wilson-jr-foundation\/","title":{"rendered":"MCC Salutes Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Event recognizes organization for nurturing RCSD children, strengthening the workforce pipeline in high-need sectors, and creating opportunities for economic\/social mobility<\/em><\/p>\n

ROCHESTER, N.Y. \u2013 <\/strong>The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation \u2014 represented by President and CEO David O. Egner \u2014 was honored as recipient of Monroe Community College Foundation\u2019s 2023 Salute to Excellence award on Wednesday evening. The award was in recognition of its philanthropic support of the next generation of workers who will fill jobs in high-demand industry sectors and of innovative strategies focused on creating opportunities for economic and social mobility, in communities across the region. The award presentation took place before an audience of more than 300 business and community leaders in the Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are grateful for this recognition from our partners at the Monroe Community College Foundation. Mr. Wilson\u2019s incredible gift of his namesake Foundation to this region has provided us with an incredible opportunity to support difference makers across our communities and here in Rochester,\u201d said David O. Egner, president & CEO, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation<\/strong>. \u201cMCC is leading some of the most innovative and collaborative approaches across the region and country in workforce development, from the FWD Center to its growing CTE Pathways System, and we are proud to join with many other philanthropic partners to help drive this work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Foundation\u2019s cumulative $5.4 million investment in MCC students over the years has focused on creating educational opportunities and enhancing the lives of community members across the region.<\/p>\n

Its largest gift to the MCC Foundation \u2013 at $3.2 million in 2022 \u2013 supported startup operations and equipment at the Finger Lakes Workforce Development (FWD) Center, housed on the fifth and sixth floors of MCC’s Downtown Campus. Its grant allowed MCC to purchase the most current equipment and technologies for the FWD Center\u2019s mechatronics and skilled trades labs, including 3D printers, virtual reality equipment, a universal robot, and an enterprise smart factory training system, preparing students to be ready on day one when they enter the workforce. A partner in the FWD Center from concept to completion, t<\/em>he Foundation also awarded a $665,000 planning grant that enabled MCC to conduct a comprehensive study in 2019 to inform the FWD Center\u2019s program development.<\/p>\n

Additionally, through a $1.5 million grant in 2019, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation supported a pilot project aimed at increasing the number of area students completing career technical education programs and reversing the skills shortage in western New York in an effort to strengthen the region\u2019s economy. The grant helped increase college access and opportunity and empowered hundreds of MCC students to pursue the education they needed to start rewarding, high-demand careers in robotics\/automation, mechatronics, precision machining, skilled trades and optics fabrication.<\/p>\n

Some of Rochester\u2019s youngest learners first experience the Foundation\u2019s generosity at the five-week Be A Healthy Hero Summer Camp. Supported through the Rochester Area Community Foundation\u2019s Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Legacy Fund for Youth Sports, this camp is hosted each year at MCC\u2019s Brighton Campus for children in grades K-5 to gain a healthy, safe and fun summer experience while building skills and positive behaviors.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Salute to Excellence event coincides with the celebration of the 40th<\/sup> anniversary of the MCC Foundation. Since 2006, $17.6 million in scholarships has been awarded by the MCC Foundation. In 2022-23 alone, $1.37 million in scholarships benefited 705 students \u2013 and $<\/strong>7.8 million in contributions from private philanthropists went to support MCC programs, facilities and scholarships. The MCC Foundation has been ranked in the top three in overall support, and unrestricted and restricted giving among reporting SUNY community colleges since 2017-18.<\/p>\n

Maureen R. Wolfe, executive vice president, Human Resources & Community Impact, ESL Federal Credit Union and chair, MCC Foundation Board of Directors<\/strong>, said, \u201cPrivate philanthropy fuels MCC\u2019s ability to continue meeting the ever-changing needs of students and our community to help grow the local economy through a well-educated and technically sophisticated workforce. The MCC Foundation is grateful for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation\u2019s continued generosity, unwavering partnership and passion for transforming the lives of students and our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn collaboration with generous community supporters like the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, we empower students from all walks of life to fulfill their potential and achieve strong foundations for life. Because of their investment, MCC students, their families, our local employers and our larger community are all stronger,\u201d said Gretchen Wood, CFRE, vice president, Institutional Advancement and executive director, MCC Foundation<\/strong>. \u201cWe are grateful for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation\u2019s steadfast support of our vision to ensure equity in educational and post-college outcomes and create opportunities for economic and social mobility across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event also highlighted the achievements and leadership of four MCC Alumni Hall of Fame inductees: Angelica Perez-Delgado \u201997, Joseph M. Rizzo \u201979, Patricia Flynn Soltys \u201972, and Alyssa S. Whitfield \u201990. (<\/strong>Go online to read their bios.<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honorary chairs for the event were Erin and Truman Tolefree. <\/strong>Erin is president of Baldwin Richardson Foods Co.; Truman is founder and managing principal of Intersection Realty Group. Serving as committee chair was Robert J. Duffy<\/strong>, president and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n

The Salute to Excellence award reflects the recipient\u2019s commitment to public higher education and the community. Past recipients of the award include the ESL Charitable Foundation, Avangrid Foundation and RG&E, J.P.Morgan Chase & Co., Greater Rochester Health Foundation, Wegman Family Charitable Foundation, Xerox and Robin \u201980 and Tim \u201980 Wentworth.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

The Monroe Community College Foundation seeks philanthropic investment to advance academic achievement, innovation, and the mission of excellence at the college.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation \u2014 represented by President and CEO David O. Egner \u2014 was honored as recipient of Monroe Community College Foundation\u2019s 2023 Salute to Excellence award on Wednesday evening. The award was in recognition of its philanthropic support of the next generation of workers who will fill jobs in high-demand industry sectors and of innovative strategies focused on creating opportunities for economic and social mobility, in communities across the region. The award presentation took place before an audience of more than 300 business and community leaders in the Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[33,73],"class_list":["post-1496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-news","tag-inspiringeveryday","tag-mcc-foundation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1496"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1498,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496\/revisions\/1498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}