Texas Operations, Freeport - January 17, 2008
The Dow Chemical Company Foundation yesterday announced a five-year financial commitment to support the expansion of a Freeport-area college that is critical to educating local students and qualifying them for jobs at local companies like Dow. This donation is in support of Dow’s 2015 Sustainability goal to Contribute to Community Success in the communities in which we operate.
Over the next five years, The Dow Foundation will donate $1 million, earmarked for the construction of a new Academic Center for Brazosport College, the community college responsible for training many of the process technicians currently working for Dow Texas Operations in Freeport. The building, to be named the Dow Academic Center, will be a 35,000 square-foot multi-use facility, enabling expanded baccalaureate degrees, flexible classrooms, state-of-the-art labs and large meeting spaces for both college and community use.
Former Texas Operations site director and newly named Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering Bob Walker said the Dow Academic Center will be beneficial to local industry, students and communities.
“Our communities have identified education as a priority and the Dow Academic Center will provide new educational opportunities as well as a place where community members can come together to meet, learn and celebrate,” he said. “This will be a great facility for our area, with benefits to the local economy, our company and the College. But most importantly, it will substantially contribute to the long-term success of our communities and that is of paramount importance to Dow.”
Dow has been a strong partner of Brazosport College since the college’s inception in 1968. Employees have helped build training programs for the petrochemical industry, served on various boards and committees and participated in college events and initiatives.
Bo Miller, President of The Dow Chemical Company Foundation, says the investment in Brazosport College demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to community success. Experts estimate that more than 60 per cent of high school graduates in Texas attend community colleges before continuing on to four-year universities. This means that institutions like Brazosport College are essential to educating young adults in the state and preparing them for future success.
“Helping to provide access to a top-quality, affordable education in a community in which Dow has such a large presence is a wonderful opportunity for the Dow Chemical Company Foundation,” Miller says. “Brazosport College has been a great partner over the years and we are delighted to support their plans to expand educational offerings and provide new community-use facilities in the Freeport, TX area.”
Dr. Millicent Valek, President of Brazosport College, says she is proud to call Dow a partner in the college’s efforts to attract additional students, support the regional economic base and provide for planned growth.
“Dow is truly a leader in making our community a great place to live, to learn and to grow,” she says. “The Dow Academic Center will allow us to expand our program offerings as we continue to meet the needs of local industry and students, as well as offer a much-needed facility for community groups to use for meetings, fund raisers, training and other activities,” she says. “It will be a focal point for our campus and we are very excited to have the Dow Chemical Company Foundation provide the contribution that will make this building a reality.”
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