TCC Vision Dinner Sets Fundraising Record
VISIONARIES: Alison Anthony (center ), the 2017 Vision in Education Leadership Award honoree is photographed, from left, with the Vision honorary co-chairs Michael and Libby Johnson; Alana R. Hughes, COO, Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation; Leigh B. Goodson, TCC president and CEO; and Vision Dinner co-chairs Jim Langdon and Steve Turnbo.
Courtesy TCC
The 2017 Vision in Education Leadership Award Dinner set a fundraising record as the evening honored Alison Anthony, the newly named chief operating officer of the Tulsa Area United Way. In addition to honoring Anthony, the event also marked the 10th anniversary of Tulsa Achieves, a program that serves as a nationwide model for public higher education.
Presented by the Tulsa Community College Foundation, the Vision Dinner raised more than $370,000, the most successful in its 18-year history. The 2017 Vision Honorary co-chairs were Michael and Libby Johnson. Jim Langdon and Steve Turnbo served as the Dinner Committee Co-Chairs. This year’s dinner also marked another first with six $25,000 Visionary sponsors. The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation issued a corporate sponsor challenge and that challenge was matched by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Gas, ONEOK, Federal Credit Union and Williams.
“We are a stronger, more successful community because of Alison Anthony’s unwavering support of education and her contributions to diversity and inclusion,” President and Leigh B. Goodson said. “She believes passionately that everyone deserves the same opportunity. Not only does she believe this, but she speaks it and consistently puts it into practice.”
The evening also showcased the success of Tulsa Achieves and highlighted how it has shaped the community. Created in 2007, Tulsa Achieves is a gap-funded program that has assisted 17,722 students in attending college and covers tuition and fees after federal student aid is exhausted.
“As a first generation college graduate, this program served as a financial blessing at the right time. I was conflicted about college and questioned if it was a good fit for me. and Tulsa Achieves gave me hope and the tools I needed to survive the “college world,” said Keondra Doyle Hampton, a Tulsa Achieves student who spoke during the Vision dinner. Since being part of the first Tulsa Achieves class, she has earned three degrees and is currently applying to pursue a Ph.D.
Funds raised from the Foundation Vision Dinner provide students with scholarships, leadership development opportunities, engagement and mentoring with academic scholars and leaders, and technology and equipment necessary to prepare for today’s work force. The Foundation 2017 Board Chair is Alana R. Hughes, chief operating officer, Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.
Updated 10-02-2017
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