During the Nov. 16 meeting of the Board of Trustees of Bates Technical College, Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg presented a check to the Bates Technical College Foundation in the amount of $5,000 to be used for scholarships.

Ladenburg was recently chosen by the National Association of County Officials (NACO) as one of three county executives nationwide to receive an Excellence in Government award. As part of that award, Siemens Building Technologies, a sponsor of NACO, contributed $5,000 to Ladenburg, who chose to donate the money to Bates to establish five $1,000 scholarships to students of color, in the electrical construction program at the college.

The Bates Technical College Foundation is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that attracts and provides resources through community partnerships to serve the college and its students.