Susan Bigelow, CFRE, CEcD
We conclude the 60th Anniversary of Sheridan College with stories about faculty and community leaders who have made access to education possible in Sheridan and students who have succeeded in many avenues of life. I encourage you to read the stories about leadership, opportunities and inspiration Val Burgess has recorded for us in this and the next several issues of the newsletter.
Elaine Hilman, one of our earliest students, shares the story of her father Archie Nash’s dedication to having a college in Sheridan and how a group of community leaders made that dream come true. Others, like Darlene Elliott, provided leadership at the state level and encouragement from the sidelines. Sheridan College has always been entrepreneurial, encouraging students to start a rodeo team or a new teacher to build an art program. Longtime art instructor Jim Lawson and many others found a home at Sheridan College, many teaching their entire careers here. The close relationship between students and faculty has been a hallmark of this small college. Torrey Moody and many others are the fi rst college students in their families. Students recall teachers who sparked interest and helped shape their career choices. Self-proclaimed wallfl owers, like Patty Badgett Benskin, and those involved in absolutely everything (Teri Trautwein) found a welcoming home at Sheridan College and an education that opened doors. Advice like “always be on time, sit in the front row and do whatever your teachers say” lasts a lifetime according to former basketball player and now attorney Scott Powers. While their stories have changed over the decades so has Sheridan College. Sheridan College has continued to build to provide educational opportunities for students. New student housing allows an additional 150 students to live on campus. Updated classrooms and renovated spaces provide the environment where doors are opened for faculty and students. The Sheridan College Foundation is pleased to help you, as donors to the Foundation, provide opportunities like those in these stories.
In response to new Internal Revenue Service guidelines regarding supporting foundations, the Sheridan College Foundation revised both its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws this past year. These changes move the appointment of Foundation Directors to the NWCCD Board of Trustees, ensuring a close tie between the College and its supporting foundation. The Foundation Board will make recommendations for board appointments to the trustees for their selection and appointment. The Foundation made two signifi cant changes in the revised bylaws: shifting the board year to coincide with the fi scal year (ending June 30) and including Johnson County as an allowable place for the Foundation to meet. The last step in the organizational changes is to request a revised determination from the IRS.
The State of Wyoming passed two legislative initiatives that affect the Foundation. First, they removed the deadlines for receiving pledges for the State’s endowment match (previously June 30, 2009) and for collecting pledges (previously December 31, 2010). Pledges must still be collected within fi ve years of the date they are received. The second initiative replaces the Uniform Management of Institutional Funds Act with the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA). The new law, which is a national standard, was effective March 2009 and governs how the Foundation invests, tracks, manages and spends donations. I will provide more details when we are sure of the impacts and opportunities this new law provides.
Thank you for making a difference in students’ lives and letting me be part of that experience.
