Tacoma Community College (TCC) employee contributions to the TCC Foundation’s Invest In Your Future capital and endowment campaign now exceed $100,000, with more than 200 employees participating.

The first phase of the Invest In Your Future campaign involved college faculty, staff and administrators and was launched in tandem with the Washington State Combined Fund Drive (CFD). TCC employees received special recognition earlier this year for achieving the greatest percentage of participation increase among large state agencies in Pierce County, up more than 25 percent from the previous year.

“Our collective efforts will improve student access and academic achievement, and enhance our ability to attract major gift support for TCC programs and services within the greater Tacoma-Pierce County community,” said Dr. Pamela J. Transue, TCC president.

Spearheading the internal campaign were Employee Campaign Co-Chairs Tim R. Keely, economics faculty; Martin Ievers, information systems staff; and CFD Coordinator Patrice Bunge, science division staff.

Several other employees also provided campaign leadership: Dolores Haugen, Olga Larrison, Reuth Kao, Chris Stancich, Fred Davis, Janine Mott, Kim Ward, David Stahl, Jeannie VanHove, Sakura Moses, Kathryn Held, Bill Harrington, Angela Wheeler, Cyndy Myers, Christyanna Dawson, Ed Zimmerman, Nikki Poppen-Eagen, Mike Mixdorf, Peggy Sargeant, Ruth Ann Mikels, Chris Gilbert and John Sandin.

The Invest in Your Future campaign is focused around three goals: enhancing access to higher education, strengthening academic programs and funding capital improvements.

Campaign initiatives include raising funds for student scholarships and grants; study abroad; employee leadership development; equipment for health care training programs; a Center for Ethical Development; construction of a new TCC Children’s Center (phase one); Learning Resource Center improvements; an Information Commons (open computer lab); and various campus beautification projects, including a Japanese Garden.

This month the TCC Foundation enters the public phase of the campaign, having already raised more than $6 million during the quiet phase.

Funds raised through the Invest in Your Future campaign will be administered by the TCC Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that accepts and administers private gifts on behalf of the college. Gifts to the TCC Foundation benefit college programs and activities not funded through state operating and capital budgets.

The Invest In Your Future campaign is the most ambitious fundraising effort in the college’s 40-year history. TCC has served more than 400,000 individuals since 1965.

For more information, contact Al Hove, campaign manager and TCC director of development, at (253) 566.5336 or ahove@tacomacc.edu.