麻豆传媒画映 held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of its new agriculture laboratory building, marking the completion of the most recent capital construction project on campus.
The ceremony was attended by elected officials, donors, industry partners, community members, and WCC personnel.
The building provides stalls for animals brought on campus, lab space, and equipment storage space for WCC鈥檚 Agriculture and Natural Resources programs, including Agribusiness Technology, Applied Animal Science Technology, Forest Management Technology, Sustainable Agriculture, and Turfgrass Management Technology.
鈥淭his is a special day for 麻豆传媒画映, our local agricultural community, and our regional partners who have championed this building and its importance on our campus,鈥� WCC President Patty Pfeiffer said at the ceremony.
The construction project was fully funded by donors. Executive Director of the Foundation of WCC Jacqueline Kannan thanked the donors at the ceremony, noting that the project would not have been possible without their support.
鈥淥ur donors have shown incredible generosity and have taken action to provide a wonderful new learning facility that will benefit our students, our faculty, and our community partners,鈥� Kannan said.
During the ceremony, two representatives spoke on behalf of organizations that helped fund the building.
Marlowe Ivey, a member of the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, said that the new facility will equip students with the practical skills needed for their careers. 鈥淣othing is more important than preparing the next generation of agricultural professionals,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat we are supporting here today will have an impact that reaches far beyond these grounds.鈥�
David Allen from the North Carolina State Grange said his organization was honored to be a part of the project. 鈥淭here are three things that are very near and dear to us, and all of those are represented here: agriculture, education, and most importantly, those who will walk through the doors of this building,鈥� Allen said.
The agriculture building was designed by C Design and constructed by Jackson Builders.
Kent Warren, president and CEO of Jackson Builders, spoke about the opportunities the facility will provide. 鈥淭his building is more than brick, steel, and concrete. It鈥檚 an investment in students, workforce development, and the future of agriculture in Wayne County,鈥� he said.
WCC Agriculture and Natural Resources Department Chair Gabe Mitchell said it has been his dream to have a dedicated space for agriculture since he began working at the College. 鈥淲e鈥檝e already begun using the building on a limited basis, and I鈥檓 looking forward to moving the rest of our equipment in here and to have this space,鈥� he said.
WCC Board Chair Ven Faulk thanked the attendees for supporting the College in training the future agricultural workforce. 鈥淚nvesting in the future of agriculture, North Carolina鈥檚 top industry, sets our students and graduates up for success and produces skilled employees that our agricultural region will certainly benefit from,鈥� he said.
About 麻豆传媒画映
麻豆传媒画映 is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 150 college credit programs. WCC鈥檚 mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.