CFCC to seek funding

Four days after what would have been the 279th birthday of Irish statesman Edmund Burke, a member of the Central Florida Community College Board of Trustees quoted him.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing," Bob Hastings said as he quoted Burke on Jan. 16. Hastings, one of the seven members of the CFCC Board of Trustees was introducing Lisa E. Lombardo, major gifts officer of the CFCC Foundation, to the Chiefland Rotary Club.

Everyone wants quality education and there will come a time when people will be asked to help this effort, Hastings said. He used Burke's words to inspire donors for the future CFCC permanent site in Levy County.

Having just passed its 50th anniversary, the creation of a permanent site in Levy County is CFCC's top priority, Lombardo said.

Jack and Loy Ann Mann donated 15.5 acres as the first step in this project several months ago, Lombardo said, adding that Loy Ann Mann is a former member of the college's board of trustees.

The other current CFCC trustee from Levy County is Carol Sullivan. CFCC serves people in Levy, Citrus and Marion counties. It has served Levy County since 1958, and it established an educational center in 1982.

There are 600 students registered now for credit and non-credit classes at CFCC's Levy Center, Director Rayanne Giddis said.

For CFCC to build its $8 million to $9 million permanent site in Levy County, Lombardo said, it needs between $1 million to $1.5 million from local contributors. The state will match dollar for dollar the local contributions, Lombardo said, and this will bring the leverage CFCC needs to finance the permanent site's construction on the west side of U.S. Highway 19 south of Fanning Springs and abutting the Nature Coast Trail.

This CFCC permanent site will be historic, Lombardo said, because it will be the first permanent college in Levy County.

The current temporary site has 9,000 square-feet of usable space, she said.

The future buildings will include more than 22,000 square-feet, she added.

It will offer state-of-the art, fully equipped, multipurpose classrooms, she said. There will be a large community meeting space for public use.

Science and technology labs will offer places for students in health occupations, public safety and security careers, as well as for small business and corporate training.

Video and teleconference technology is planned as part of the future college, Lombardo said, for local business interests to utilize for training the workforce and strengthening its skills.

Lombardo said the college plans to announce in February the start of its campaign to raise funds for the future permanent CFCC site in Levy County.

There will be many high profile opportunities for naming or branding buildings, classrooms and other structures and areas on the campus, she added.

She wants everyone to be able to say, "This is our college."

Construction could start as soon as the summer of 2009, she said, and the sooner local funding is generated, the sooner the college can seek funds from the state.