The Dowd Foundation makes $500,000 gift to Central Piedmont Community College

The Dowd Foundation of Charlotte, N.C., has made a $500,000 gift to Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) to sponsor its Engineering Technology Center and help students prepare for engineering careers. In recognition of the Foundation gift, the College will name the Center, which encompasses the engineering laboratories on the first floor of the Advanced Technology Building on Central Campus, the Dowd Engineering Technology Center.

“We are extremely grateful to the Dowd Foundation for its generosity and philanthropic spirit,” said Dr. Tony Zeiss, president of CPCC. “Careers in the STEMS (science, technology, engineering, math and sustainability) fields are on the rise across the country as the U.S. strives to produce enough graduates to sustain job growth in these professional industries. Thanks to the Dowd Foundation’s gift, hundreds of CPCC students will be able to pursue an education in the engineering sector, an industry that is very much in need of qualified workers prepared to make a contribution to today’s workforce.”

Mr. Frank Dowd, IV, chairman of the board and CEO for Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company and vice president of the Dowd Foundation, said "The Dowd Foundation has supported CPCC for decades and this gift is a continuation of that long-term commitment to the College. CPCC provides real-world training for people in areas where high job demand exists - like the engineering sector, an industry that is exceptionally important to the vitality of America's workforce as well as our 108-year-old, Charlotte-based manufacturing company."

The Dowd Engineering Technology Center will provide training to students preparing for careers in a range of engineering fields and will be a resource for the region’s workers who are seeking to enhance their skills. Engineering fields utilizing the Center will include mechanical, electrical, and electronics engineering, as well as machining technology, manufacturing technology and integrated systems technology.

Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering close to 300 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.

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This release prepared by Mallory Benz, 704.330.6613. An archive of CPCC news releases is at http://www.cpcc.edu/college-news.