By Wendy Harrison
Special to the News-Herald

Smithfield Foods President and Chief Operating Officer C. Larry Pope has announced that the company will make a $330,000 gift to Paul D. Camp Community College.

The announcement was made in Pope’s keynote address at a recent event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Workforce Development Center.

“I lived in the Franklin area for part of my youth, and I know how important the college is to the educational and economic vitality of the region,” Pope said. “We are thrilled to partner with Paul D. Camp with this major gift.”

Pope also serves as the honorary chair of the college’s major gift campaign.

“We are simply elated about this gift from Smithfield Foods and Smithfield Packing,” PDCCC President Paul Conco said. “These dollars will be used to change lives and make incredible differences in this region and for Paul D. Camp Community College students. Through this major gift, the college can continue to provide relevant programs for regional workforce training and education.”

Funding will be used to build an ongoing collaboration between the College and Smithfield Packing, officials said.

“This gift will be the start of very important work in the region,” said Tim Schellpeper, president of Smithfield Packing Inc. and a PDCCC Foundation board member. “Not only will it benefit the college, but our company will see tremendous operational opportunities as a result. This is a great time in the life of the college, and I’m proud to be part of this special time.”

Officials said that specific elements of this collaboration are expected to include:

4Development of a skilled technicians program through the Workforce Development Center;

4Creation of a specialized “Technology Center” at the Workforce Development Center;

4Establishment of scholarships to support the educational attainment goals of students;

4And development of a sustainability initiative that supports the vision of Smithfield Foods.

College Foundation President John Alexander Mann, III, said, “We truly believe that through the collaboration between the college and the Smithfield companies, we will ensure the readiness of our citizens to engage in up-to-date industry work standards.”

The corporate gift from Smithfield Foods and Smithfield Packing has come at a critical time. The College is in the final phase of its Major Gifts Campaign. The campaign will end in the summer of 2013, and the College is working to ensure that funding is finalized in efforts to reach its $3 million goal.

PDCCC Vice President for Institutional Advancement Felicia Blow said, “Our major gifts campaign will fund three important areas. The campaign will create ‘high-need’ academic and workforce programs and will increase student access through scholarships and financial aid. It also will help us implement new technology to enhance instructional effectiveness.”

“We want to keep tuitions low, while keeping access high,” she said. “We also want to ensure that our faculty and staff have the best available resources to meet student needs. With this being the college’s first major gifts campaign, we are very excited to be near to our goal.”