President’s Update – December 2016

Dec. 15, 2016

Good afternoon CF Family,

As the semester winds down, we have much to celebrate! First, a big thank you to all of the faculty teaching our students this semester. Think of all of that learning that has taken place with the thousands of students enrolled at CF!

Tonight we will recognize our nursing graduates with pinning ceremonies for our Bachelor of Science in Nursing students at 5 p.m. and Associate Degree in Nursing students at 7:30 p.m. We can all take great pride in our nursing program and know that these students are filling a critical need for health care in our community.

Between the two programs, at 6 p.m., I will have an opportunity to attend the graduation of our Police Academy students. These young men and women also make us proud, and I know that our community will be safer because of their service.

Friday we will celebrate commencement at First Baptist Church of Ocala at 5 p.m. Our speaker is Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society President Samantha Baxter, who will head to Embry-Riddle in January to continue her education in aeronautical engineering. She will share how the unexpected can sometimes lead you in a new direction. Commissioner Adam Putnam was scheduled to speak, but will not be able to attend due to a late schedule change. The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Ron and Phyllis Ewers, and the Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Michael Joyner, Florida Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For those unable to attend, the ceremony will be webcast live at CF.edu/graduationlive. For those who are assisting with the ceremony, please know that I appreciate your dedication in making this an extraordinary event for our students and their families.

I enjoyed celebrating the holidays with you at the CF Holiday Reception last week and enjoyed gaining a few pounds sampling those great desserts. Thanks to all of the bakers and to Staci Biondini for coordinating the event. Cheryl Crosby and her team outdid themselves again with a delicious menu.

The CF Family Campaign will kick off in January. This year CF will celebrate 60 years and in honor of this milestone, the CF Family Campaign is highlighting our 60 years of awesomeness! This past year, we reached 94 percent employee participation! Every gift, no matter the size, is important and will go a long way in helping us reach our goal of 100 percent employee participation. Your participation in this annual effort directly benefits students through scholarships, enhanced programs and endowed chairs. It shows external donors that we are prepared to support our students with our own dollars, encouraging them to also invest in our mission.

If we don’t connect at one of our graduations or on campus before we begin the holiday break, please know that I am grateful for the work that you do every day to make a difference in the lives of our students. ALL of us play an important role in delivering a high-quality learning environment for our students and community. Thanks for all of your hard work and enjoy your winter break!

Jim