Northwest College To Have First Endowed Chairs Thru Donation

Two departments at Northwest College will have endowed chairs, thanks to two local donors who want residents to benefit from local education opportunities.

On Dec. 14, the Northwest College Foundation announced the single largest gift in the foundation’s history – just over $3 million. That gift is being used to establish the first endowed chair positions at N.W.C.

An endowed chair is a faculty position privately funded by an endowment, ensuring the position lasts as long as the institution exists. It’s an honor to the appointed chairholder and an enduring tribute to the donor who establishes it.

The Science and Education Departments will have endowed chairs, offering new opportunities for the people occupying the positions and their students.

“We are tremendously grateful for our donors’ generosity and dedication to education at Northwest College,” N.W.C. Interim President Lisa Watson said. “This lasting gift is truly a landmark moment for N.W.C., one that ensures our ability to support academic opportunities for years to come and reflects the amazing support for our institution.”

The gift will create two endowments, each valued at $1.5 million. Investment proceeds will support the chair position and special programming at the college.

The priority for funding will be salary support for each position, which comes from the donation. In addition, the N.W.C. Foundation will provide an incentive or reward for the faculty members who are named to each chair.

“We’ve designed a system to allocate a portion of the money for professional development and funds to support innovative curricula development by the respective faculty chairs,” Executive Director of the Northwest College Foundation Shelby Wetzel said. “Our goal is to continue inspiring teaching that provides exceptional learning opportunities for students at Northwest College.”

Courtesy Northwest College Foundation

This gift comes from a local alumni couple who are choosing to remain anonymous but who benefited from the educational opportunities offered by Northwest College.

One of the donors attended Northwest College after graduating from Cody High School. Later, the gentleman earned a professional degree and returned to work in Park County.

His wife earned her education degree through the University of Wyoming from the N.W.C. campus, completing many of her general education courses in Powell. She later went on to teach in Park County’s public schools.

The donors see their substantial gift as “sharing their passion for all Wyoming has to offer with friends and family.”