The Philip L. Van Every Foundation makes charitable gift to CPCC
The Philip L. Van Every Foundation of Charlotte, N.C., has made a charitable gift to Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) that will create an endowment to provide scholarship support to CPCC students. In recognition of the charitable donation, CPCC named its new culinary arts facility the Philip L. Van Every Culinary Arts Center. The naming honors Mr. Van Every and his business and civic leadership and support for education. A naming ceremony was held earlier today at the Center, located at the corner of N. Kings Drive and Seventh Street on CPCC’s Central Campus near uptown Charlotte.
“The Foundation has supported CPCC and its many programs for more than 20 years,” said Pete Sloan, a CPCC Foundation and Philip L. Van Every Foundation board member. "This gift will provide countless CPCC students with financial aid assistance, continuing Phil’s tradition of helping those in need. He was a great and generous man who loved people, and the Foundation is proud to make this gift in his honor and contribute to his legacy in such a memorable way.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Foundation for its charitable gift and for recognizing that a need still exists among our student population for financial relief, especially during today’s difficult economic times,” said Dr. Tony Zeiss, president of CPCC. “Thanks to the Philip L. Van Every Foundation’s generosity, our new Culinary Arts Center will be synonymous with one of Charlotte’s greatest business minds and civic leaders, and our students will be able to afford a CPCC education that will better prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.“
The late Philip L. Van Every was strongly connected to the Queen City during his lifetime. At the age of 29 he assumed leadership of Lance Packaging Company, a snack food industry giant founded by his grandfather in 1915. While Mr. Van Every was a leading businessman in the Charlotte area, he dedicated much of his career to civil service – he was a member of the Charlotte City Council and served two terms as mayor. Today, Lance, Inc., continues to thrive in his absence; the company is a leader in the snack food industry and is considered one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of snack foods in the United States.
Given the business history of Mr. Van Every, a gift to name CPCC’s new culinary building is in accordance with the Foundation’s namesake. CPCC’s Philip L. Van Every Culinary Arts Center is a 30,600 square-foot facility that is home to the College’s culinary technology, and hotel and restaurant management programs. It includes five main kitchens, four classrooms, an auditorium, dining/conference area and much more.
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.
