Ozarka College recently received a charitable contribution in the amount of $5,000 from Centennial Bank - Mountain View to support Ozarka's Welding Center expansion in downtown Mountain View. The contribution will fully outfit one of 10 welding booths at the center. Each welding station will be equipped with welders with industry driven add-ons, specifically, a "push-pull gun " application used by local Stone County industries.

"Centennial Bank believes Ozarka College is the greatest asset for students to further their education, " said Brad Shipman, president of Centennial Bank, Mountain View. "We have supported the College in the past and we plan to continue that support with this gift. We are excited that Ozarka is investing in technical education and are thrilled to help with this project."

The new Welding Center in Mountain View is an expansion to serve the greater Mountain View area. The Center will house advanced welding education for college students in preparation for today's workforce, will assist local industries with continuing education needs for their employees, and will enable area high school students an accelerated pathway into high-demand career fields.

"This commitment to technical education in Mountain View, provided by our friends at Centennial Bank, will have a powerful impact on Ozarka students, " said Dr. Richard Dawe, president of Ozarka College. "We are grateful for Centennial Bank's support and proud of their commitment to our College and the communities we are proud to serve. "

The donation from Centennial Bank comes after Ozarka's 2019 designation as a regional Secondary Technical Center by the Career Education and Workforce Development Board.   The designation allows the College to offer secondary technical training to area high school students.   Secondary technical centers are designed to provide career and technical education programs too costly for the local high schools to offer.

The commitment from Centennial Bank is a contribution toward Ozarka College Foundation's fundraising campaign, an effort to raise capital to advance programs as well as furnish and equip state-of-the-art facilities.   If you are interested in supporting these new technical education opportunities, there are multiple giving opportunities available. For more information, contact Dr. Josh Wilson with the Ozarka College Foundation at development@ozarka.edu or 870.368.260.

*Photo Caption: (L-R) Kim Lovelace, Ozarka College Mountain View Campus Director; Michelle Atchison, Centennial Bank Business Development Officer; Brad Shipman, Centennial Bank President