Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College representatives Ronald E. Lemon and Cindy Crigger gave an update on college events and programs during a recent Logan County Family Resource Network (FRN) meeting.

Southern named the year 2006 as a year of “firsts” at Southern, as the college celebrated its 36th year serving students in southern West Virginia. Lemon, director for development at Southern, gave an update on the college’s Vision 2020 Major Gifts Campaign which has netted $5,000,000 since the formal kickoff in September. The campaign’s goal is to raise $7,000,000 by the year 2010 and $20,000,000 by the year 2020. Lemon pointed out that college employees are a major contributor to the campaign. Several local businesses and coal companies have made five-year commitment to the campaign. The additional funding will assist with future student scholarships, new academic programs, new equipment and building projects, Lemon said.

Crigger reviewed several other projects that were launched in the year 2006. Those included the construction of the new Allied Health and Technology Center adjacent to the Logan Campus; the development of the Academy for Mine Training and Energy Technologies; Southern’s new wing attached to the Lincoln County High School in Hamlin and the Celebration of Excellence in honor of all the Allied Health programs receiving 100 percent passage rate on national exams.

Crigger said that 2007 will be another year of accomplishments as it will mark the completion of the Allied Health and Technology Center and the opening of the Public Higher Education Center in Beckley. Southern will have a space at the 33 acre campus set to open in the fall of 2007.

“With President Tomblin’s leadership and vision, Southern will continue to be the premier community college in West Virginia,” Crigger said. “In addition, Southern serves approximately 5,000 students in southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky.”

FRN board members and participants in attendance were Sherrie Barrett, Early Childhood Specialists; Nadine Adams, Donna Craddock, Shannon Meade, Judy Hall of LINK Childcare Services; Patricia Young, Logan County Schools; Marcus Gibbs, Cindy Crigger and Ronald Lemon of Southern; Mary Davis, Jean Turner, Sarah Davis of Logan Mingo Mental Health; Karen Boone, Dept. Health & Human Resources; Caron Burgess of PRIDE; Debra Baisden Fields of W.Va. Rehabilitation Services; Sandra Davis of Logan Health Dept.; Judy Cope, Sherri Hall of WVU Center for Disabilities; and April Abraham of W.Va. Birth to Three.

The Logan County Family Resource Network serves as a clearing house of information to seek and to ensure that needy families are fully aware of the various services available to them. The FRN Board of Directors meets on the second Wednesday of each month at PRIDE in Logan County, Inc. (699 Stratton St. in Logan). The public and organizations are always welcome and organizations are always welcome and encouraged to attend FRN meetings.

For more information, contact Shannon Meade, FRN coordinator, at 752-9536.