COTC recognizes Corbett
COSHOCTON – Dr. Bonnie L. Coe, president of Central Ohio Technical College, thanked those that have helped the Coshocton campus grow and flourish and presented a special Legends of Loyalty award to Richard Corbett, who passed away in 2015. The award was accepted by his wife Judy Corbett in his memory. The Legends of Loyalty award is the college’s highest honor. Dr. Coe said, “Because he understood and shared Ed Montgomery’s commitment to Roscoe Village Richard Corbett was a champion of COTC’s interest in acquiring the empty Roscoe Village Inn for our Coshocton campus.”
Kim Manno, director of development for COTC, opened the evening by thanking everyone in attendance and for the friendship and support of the stakeholders.
“I offer you my personal thanks for coming out tonight,” said Dr. Coe. “Our closest friends and colleagues are here tonight. For that I offer my personal appreciation. This gives us an opportunity to celebrate our partnerships, and there are so many partnerships in the room and also our friends in this very, very special community.
“This is my 18th year on the campus – and I came to Coshocton after I had been on the Newark campus for one week. We can collectively celebrate our successes over the past year.
“Your generous support on a daily basis has made a difference in the lives of the students on this campus. Your choice to support this campus impacts our students every single day. I want you to feel that.
“COTC would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the generous individuals that are here in the room. Everyone is working very, very well together.”
Dr. Coe shared the highlights of the past year and how involved the college is in the community – including being a large buyer at the recent Coshocton County Junior Fair livestock auction and the upcoming candle lighting ceremony at Roscoe Village and the Miracle on Main Street parade.
“We know this participation and support is not just important in terms of community relations, it’s also a critical part of our unwavering dedication to make COTC accessible and attainable to diverse populations of students.
“So we know we must be at the core of community development, economic development and workforce development, so that the residents of Coshocton County and the surrounding communities understand what many of us automatically understand; that education is the key to economic mobility and that we are impacting the lives of your residents every single day here on the campus.
“Another vital part of accessibility and affordability is student scholarships. Because of the next generation scholarship campaign, I know many of you were involved as a donor – the goal was to raise $20 million dollars for OSU Newark and COTC – this was a few years ago – you know what we did – we raised $21 million dollars – due to our generous communities of which you are a critical part.
“Thanks to that we were able to award a record breaking $830,000 in scholarships this year in Coshocton.”
A special book, titled “Moments and Memories,” was a parting gift for all in attendance and included a unique “Pearls of Wisdom” bookmark. The “Pearls of Wisdom” was written by Richard Corbett and he shared it with his grandchildren. The book contains photos and history from the college’s 47 year history.
Coshocton City Mayor Steve Mercer wrapped up the evening by saying, “I would just like to say, in front of this group, thank you so much for your leadership here in Coshocton. We had a very humble beginning – and to think where we have gone from where we were to where we are now – all the jobs that it’s created, the importance of having any kind of college represented in town is so critical to drawing development here. All of these things, particularly here in Coshocton, have occurred under your watch. Thank you so much for what you’ve done for Coshocton.”
Category: Education