President's Perspective Dec 2018/Jan 2019

State College

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

D EJ A CE BE R –2F0E 18 J AN UARY NM UA RY BR-UARY 20 1 7 20 1 9

IMPACTFUL Moments

As we look ahead to the New Year, I’d like to showcase some extraordinary highlights from 2018.

NWF State College was named one of the Top 150 community colleges by the Aspen Institute and through the evaluation process moved into the top 5 percent of all community/state colleges nationally. Additionally, we advanced to Silver Status in the Florida College System Performance Funding model with a significant financial boost to our state appropriation this year.

Thanks to hard-working faculty and staff, we received these accolades while continuing the journey to be THE BEST for our students and the constituents we serve.

In 2018, Northwest Florida State College focused on student success by:

1. Reducing financial barriers: o The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to hold tuition flat for the 2018-2019 academic year, making this the fifth consecutive year with the same tuition rate; o The College eliminated parking and graduation fees; o We began waiving all fees for active duty military using tuition assistance through the passage of House Bill 75; 2. Implementing the Feed-A-Raider food pantry initiative to address the issue of food shortages, a basic need, by many college students; 3. Working with industry leaders to identify needs and standing up new programming that leads to (continued on next page)

VOVO LUME 10 1 LUM2, E NO. 1, NO.

N O R T H W E S T F L O R I D A S TAT E C O L L E G E RECEIVES $150,000 GIFT FROM GULF POWER FOUNDATION FOR VETERANS SUCCESS CENTER

Photo (L to R): Cole Allen, NWF Chief Information Officer; Dr. Nate Slaton, NWF VP of Student Success; Jack Capra, NWF General Counsel; Juliet Milam, Gulf Power Local Manager; Bernard Johnson, Gulf Power Central District Manager; Dr. Devin Stephenson, NWF President; Wendell Smith, Chairman, Gulf Power Foundation Board and Vice President of Customer Service & Sales; Jennifer Allen McFarren, Executive Director of the Gulf Power Foundation; Cristie Kedroski, NWF VP of College Advancement; Pauline Anderson, NWF Dean of Instititional Research; Laura Coale, NWF Executive Director of Strategic Communications

Gulf Power Foundation has pledged $150,000 to assist in the establishment of a Veterans Success Center at Northwest Florida State College. The gift will enhance the operational capacity of the Center which serves to expand employment, educational opportunities and transition services to veterans, active duty and guard service members, reservists and military dependents. The Veterans Success Center is scheduled to open in Spring 2019, located within building 510 at Northwest Florida State College’s Niceville campus.

“Donors like the Gulf Power Foundation are one of the primary reasons we can provide impactful resources to our students, specifically our veterans,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, President of Northwest Florida State College. “We greatly thank them for their investment that will directly benefit those who have served our country.”

The Veterans Success Center will provide a one-stop shop for service programs and educational and transitional learning for veterans and their families.

The center will offer a tranquil, professional and respectful location, including stateof-the-art infrastructure and technology, where veterans can study or pursue other

scholastic assignments. Additionally, the center will create a cooperative community for veterans and provide resources for leadership, support, advisement and campus engagement.

Specifically, funds will be utilized to support academic advisement; establishment and operation of service dog training center for combat wounded veterans; online educational opportunities; job placement services; transcript evaluation; VA certification; tuition processing for remote assignment; military internships/apprenticeships; specialized services for handicapped wounded warriors; and needed administrative support. The Veterans Success Center will work with individuals to remove barriers to employment, increase educational attainment and provide a sense of community for those who have served in the armed forces and their families.

Gulf Power Foundation provided a $30,000 gift, the first installment of a pledge totaling $150,000.

STRATEGIC PLAN: Goals 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6

(IMPACTFUL Moments, continued)

high-demand jobs such as Culinary, Unmanned Vehicle Systems Operations and Natural Gas Operations and Distribution; 4. Creating a full-service Student Success Center - Raider Central – a forward-thinking modern design concept where students receive services in one location; 5. Designing a student-focused website, with an online chat feature to connect students to our Navigator Team to quickly address their questions; 6. Establishing strategic partnerships, such as the Hsu Educational Foundation and Crestview Technology Park LLC, to create a smoother pathway to high-wage careers in aircraft maintenance, industrial maintenance, robotics and logistics through the Advanced Technology Center of Excellence.

In 2019, we will continue this journey to make an IMPACT through:

1. Opening the Veterans Success Center (VSC) to provide a one-stop shop for educational, transitional learning and service programs for veterans and their families in Spring 2019; 2. Diving into an important multi-year initiative for student success called Achieving the Dream (ATD). The Achieving the Dream Network is comprised of over 200 open-access community/state colleges across the Nation who are deeply committed to accelerating their student success agenda. NWF State College will have two coaches – a data coach and a leadership coach – who will assist us in building our institutional capacity

IN THE SPOTLIGHT n Northwest Florida State College Welding recently received the honor of Top Educational Institution from the American Welding Society (AWS). n Dr. Teresa Ryan, NWF nursing professor, spoke at the University of Chester’s annual symposium on Veteran’s Health & Wellbeing. Dr. Ryan, the only American invited to speak, presented a program on incorporating military and veteran healthcare issues into nursing curriculum. n Both NWF Basketball Teams were ranked #1 in the FCSAA Preseason Poll. This is the fourth straight year that both programs have appeared in the FCSAA Preseason Top 5. n Recent NWF graduates Linda Ivey and Richie Gray presented their research completed with the Mattie M. Kelly Environmental Institute at the North American Lake Management Society in Cincinnati, OH. Linda shared her work examining shifts in phytoplankton communities in Grayton Lake. Richie shared his work examining macrophyte community dynamics among Northwest Florida’s coastal dune lakes. Of the numerous students attending the conference, Linda and Richie were the only undergraduate student presenters. n Northwest Florida State College has established a new cooperative partnership with Healing Paws for Warriors (HP4W ), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing post-9/11 combat veterans wounded from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other combat-related trauma. Through this partnership, HP4W will be able to utilize acreage on NWF State College’s Niceville campus for specialized training for their service dogs at no cost.

in seven areas: Teaching and Learning; Engagement and Communication; Strategy and Planning; Policies and Practices; Leadership and Vision; Data and Technology; and Equity; 3. Launching NWF OnLine, our virtual campus, offering academic programs, advising, and tutoring to students in Fall 2019. We are developing this initiative as our response to the proliferation of expensive out-of-state online programs that potentially saddle students with high levels of student loan debt. I believe NWF State College can offer a high quality educational experience while at the same time reducing the cost of expensive textbooks for our students. This initiative is designed to open access of NWF State College’s excellent programs and courses to a new student market.

4. Starting new programs that are in alignment with industry demand such as Physical Therapy Assisting; 5. and much more!

Thank you for your continued support. We are enthused about the future and excited about the opportunities that await us in 2019. As we enter this wonderful Holiday Season, I wish you and your families THE BEST! Dr. Devin Stephenson President #TheBestIsOurStandard

STRATEGIC PLAN: Goals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6

MATTIE KELLY ARTS CENTER

STRATEGIC PLAN: Goal 6

THE BUSIEST MONTH YET AT THE MATTIE KELLY ARTS CENTER! With Broadway performances, Symphony concerts, artist shows, children’s performances and a NWF President’s Speaker Series event all happening in January 2019, the upcoming month will be Mattie Kelly Arts Center’s busiest this season! Don’t miss the following upcoming shows: January 8 -- KINKY BOOTS is Broadway’s huge-hearted, high-heeled hit! With songs by Grammy® and Tony® winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this joyous musical WINNER! celebration is about the friendships we discover, and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind. Inspired by true events, KINKY BOOTS takes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. This show will sell out, so be sure to buy your tickets early!

January 12 -- Arrival Music of ABBA has all of the features a great ABBA show needs: lovely costumes, extremely talented musicians and breathtaking singers joined by the NFSO and Maestro Devin Patrick Hughes. ARRIVAL from Sweden has been touted as the world’s greatest ABBA tribute band, with sold-out shows all over the world, performances in more than 50 countries since 1995 and 25 sold-out tours in the USA since 2005.

January 17 -- Mutts Gone Nuts features the combination of canines and comedy in a smash hit performance, that’s leaving audiences everywhere howling for more.

From shelters to showbiz, these amazing mutts unleash havoc and hilarity in a January 8, 2019 breathtaking, action-packed, comedy dog spectacular, featuring some of the world’s 7:30 p.m. | Mainstage Mattie Kelly Arts Center Tickets : $47 most talented four-legged performers.

Call or Click for Tickets: (850) 729-6000 or January 18 -- Lonnie Johnson will speak as part of the President’s Speaker www.MattieKellyArtsCenter.org Series, an initiative that Northwest Florida State College implemented this year to bring renowned speakers to our region who will share their insight with our community. In his talk The Power of Perseverance, Johnson will discuss his history and how the ever increasing rate of technology evolution impacts the future.

January 25 -- Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium is an immersive experience that invites you to jump in and explore unknown ocean depths where prehistoric marine reptiles lived eons ago – and maybe still live today! Erth shows are at the forefront of family entertainment, using actors, technology, puppets, science and imagination to create an amazing visual experience that connects young audiences to the real science of paleontology.

2 0 1 3 T O N Y AWA R D

®

1 0 0 C O L L E G E B O U L E VA R D E A S T | N I C E V I L L E , F L 3 2 5 7 8

Northwest Florida State College is committed to equal access/equal opportunity in its programs, activities, and employment. For additional information, visit www.nwfsc.edu.

For more information about upcoming events, visit MattieKellyArtsCenter.org.

CBA VOLUNTEERS COMPETE TO FINISH

REEF BREAKWATERS AT EGLIN POSTAL POINT The Eglin Natural Resources Branch, known as Jackson Guard, won CBA’s first ever reef building competition at Eglin AFB’s Postal Point by building 175 linear feet of reef in four hours. The reef breakwater stretches 1,400 linear feet in all, made of over 140 tons of limestone rock pieces.

In all, six teams from across Eglin and Hurlburt competed to see who could build the fastest reef sections, including staff from Corvias, the Rapid Engineer Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, the Hurlburt Honor Guard, Jackson Guard, the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight, 73rd Special Operations Squadron, the 11th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron and the 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Corvias donated the most volunteer hours to build 18 reef sections (450 linear feet), in addition to an $8,000 grant to fund the reef project as part of their Giving Back program.

STRATEGIC PLAN: Goals 4 and 6

NWF STATE COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Brian S. Pennington, Chair MGen Thomas “Rudy” Wright, USAF Ret., Vice-Chair Shane Abbott Craig Barker

Charlotte Flynt Reynolds Henderson Lori Kelley MGen Don Litke, USAF Ret. Dr. Devin Stephenson, President

State College

100 College Boulevard, East Niceville, FL 32578

FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chad Hamilton, Chair C. Jeffrey McInnis, Vice Chair J.D. Peacock, Treasurer

Cristie Kedroski, Secretary Dale E. Peterson, Past Chair Devin Stephenson, President

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Eric Aden Bo Arnold Wayne Campbell David Costa Walter Hooks Scott Jackson Gordon King

Michelle McGee Mitch Mongell Venita Morell Jonathan Ochs Dennis Peters Melissa Pilcher Tom Rice

Donnie Richardson Fred Thomas Ken Wampler Steve Wills Steve Wolfrom Alan Wood Dewayne Youngblood

NWF FOUNDATION CALLS FOR ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATIONS The Northwest Florida State College Foundation is calling for nominations for its 2019 Alumni Awards. This is a wonderful opportunity to honor a deserving alumnus of Okaloosa-Walton Junior College, Okaloosa-Walton Community College, Okaloosa-Walton College or NWF State College.

All Alumni Award recipients will be recognized at the Foundation’s Annual Scholars and Donors Luncheon in fall of 2019.

There are four categories of awards:

STRATEGIC PLAN: Goals 2, 5 and 6

N O R T H W E S T F L O R I DA S TAT E C O L L E G E A L U M N I AT A N N UA L S C H O L A R S A N D On Friday, November 2, the Northwest Florida State College Foundation held their Annual Scholars and Donors Luncheon. This year, the NWF State College Foundation celebrated scholarship recipients, the donors who made their scholarships possible, and recognized the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award winners. Held every fall, the luncheon provides an opportunity for students to meet and thank their donors in person. Donors are seated with their scholars and are able to learn first-hand how their generosity impacts students.

The Foundation continues to award more than $600,000 in scholarship funding each year to deserving students.

Five NWF alumni were recognized and awarded as the 2018 Distinguished Alumni: Jeffrey “Mark” Glass – Distinguished Alumni; Sean Dietrich – Against the Odds; Nakara Beliveau – Rising Star; Ryan Bullard – Rising Star; Lowell C. Larson, Jr. – Hometown Hero.

Biographies of each Alumni Award Winner can be found on the Foundation’s website.

• • • •

Distinguished Alumni Award Against The Odds Award Rising Star Award Hometown Hero

F O U N DAT I O N H O S T S DONORS LUNCHEON

Photo (L to R): NWF State College President, Dr. Devin Stephenson; Distinguished Alumni Award recipients Lowell C. Larson, Jr., Jeffrey “Mark” Glass, Ryan Bullard and Nakara Beliveau; NWF Foundation Chair, Chad Hamilton STRATEGIC PLAN: Goals 1, 4, 5 and 6