Pellissippi State receives $150,000 for Blount County Center

DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) has awarded the Pellissippi State Foundation a grant of $150,000 for new equipment and technology for the Blount County Center. DNAF representatives presented the check during a December 13 ceremony at the campus.

The grant will be used to upgrade existing and purchase new equipment for a computer lab and a science lab at the Blount County campus. When the College eventually builds a new facility in the county, the equipment will be transferred there.

“We are excited at the additional educational opportunities that this grant will give to our students,” said Allen Edwards, president. “They will benefit greatly from having state-of-the-art computer and science labs. We appreciate the support that the DENSO Foundation has given us.”

Barb Wertheimer, secretary and senior program officer, DENSO Foundation, Southfield, Michigan, and Jim Woroniecki, senior vice president, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, and DENSO Foundation board of directors member, were on hand to present the check to Edwards and Peggy Wilson, vice president of College Advancement and executive director of the Pellissippi State Foundation.

“Pellissippi State is a wonderful community college and good neighbor. With this grant, we hope to strengthen our relationship even further,” Woroniecki said.

Pellissippi State has had a presence in Blount County since 1988. It has always been housed in former schools, but the College has plans to build new facilities in Blount County once funding is available.

“The new campus is moving up the state’s list for funding of capital projects,” said Wilson. “The Foundation will soon start a major gifts campaign, with one of its goals raising money from the community to equip the new facility. This gift today will go a long way toward helping with that goal.”

The Pellissippi State Foundation supports the College by providing student scholarships and loans, by helping the College with equipment and technology needs, and by providing professional development opportunities.

DNAF, the first charitable foundation to be established by a Japan-based automotive parts supplier in North America, provides grants to higher education institutions for educational and/or scientific purposes, with an emphasis on engineering and technology. Funded in 2001 by DENSO’s North American headquarters, DENSO International America, the foundation to date has awarded more than $1.6 million to 16 institutions of higher education.

DENSO Corporation, the third largest automotive supplier in the world, employs 95,000 people in 31 countries and had global sales of $24.2 billion for fiscal year 2003. The corporation supplies such products as power-train control systems, electronic systems, thermal systems, information technology systems and small motors to all the world’s automakers.

DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee (DMTN) has nearly 2,300 associates and is one of DENSO's largest locations internationally. In Maryville, DENSO produces starters, alternators, instrument clusters and display units, and a variety of advanced electronics components.

"Inside Pellissippi" is a bi-monthly electronic publication produced by the Community Relations Office for the faculty and staff of Pellissippi State Technical Community College, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, P.O. Box 22990, Knoxville, Tennessee 37933-0990. All suggestions and comments should be sent to Julia Wood (jwood@pstcc.edu).

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