Ken and Thelma Gilley

Big Stone Gap, VA – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will honor the late Mr. Ken Gilley and Mrs. Thelma Sorah Gilley at the annual Hall of Honor Gala on Saturday evening, April 21, 2018.

The gala theme is “Music of the Mountains,” and proceeds from the event will benefit the Gilley-Sorah Hall of Honor Mountain Music School Endowed Scholarship at MECC. Mountain Music School, held annually during the summer, draws many local and out-of-state students to the one-week program that carries on the rich musical heritage of our region.

The Gilleys will be recognized for their support of Mountain Empire Community College and their service to the region. They have been strong proponents of higher education in southwest Virginia, providing financial support to MECC. The Gilleys have created two scholarships, the William Kenneth Gilley Memorial Scholarship for Mountain Music School, and the Gilley-Sorah Endowed Scholarship, which was created along with their son, Michael, and Thelma’s sister, Shirley Walborn. Additionally, Mrs. Gilley was involved in establishing the East Stone Gap Tigers Scholarship at MECC.

The Gilleys were also active in civic organizations and volunteered in the community. Mr. Gilley worked for Norfolk Southern Railway for 41 years, and was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Shriners. Mrs. Gilley worked for the Virginia Division of Mines in Big Stone Gap, the Social Security Office in Norton, and retired from the Department of Labor as supervisor of the Black Lung Office in Norton. She also served as a negotiator for the local AFL-CIO. After their retirement, the Gilleys enjoyed taking classes at MECC and especially enjoyed participating in Mountain Music School.

The evening will begin with a reception in the Slemp Commons of Phillips-Taylor Hall at 6 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner in the Goodloe Center at 6:45 p.m. A short recognition program will follow dinner, and musical entertainment by mountain music artists and bands will follow. Musicians will include Mountain Music School instructors, Chris Rose, Richard Phillips, Steve Souther, Joey O’Quinn, Sarah Kate Morgan, and Larry Mullins.  The evening will also feature some Mountain Music School students.

Event sponsorship opportunities are available. Visit www.meccfoundation.org for more information.

Tickets to the April 21 Gala event are $75 each and may be purchased by calling the MECC Foundation office at 276-523-7466 or by visiting the MECC Foundation website at http://www.meccfoundation.org/mecc-foundation-gala/.

Tickets may also be purchased by mail by sending a check to MECC Foundation, 3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, VA, 24219, Please make checks payable to MECC Foundation and indicate in the memo section of your check “Gilley-Sorah Hall of Honor Mountain Music School Scholarship.”

If you have questions, or need additional information about the event, please contact the MECC Foundation Office at 276-523-7466, or e-mail Jeri Bledsoe at jbledsoe@mecc.edu.

The Mountain Empire Community College Alumni and Friends Advisory Committee is seeking nominations for the 2018 MECC Outstanding Alumnus Award. The award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to one or more areas of society, i.e., professional, academic, and personal achievements, civic service, or service to MECC.

All living MECC alumni who have completed at least one class at MECC are eligible to be nominated and considered for the award. Self-nominations are also welcome. Current members of the MECC Local Advisory Board and the MECC Foundation Board of Directors, current faculty and staff of the college, and members of the MECC Alumni and Friends Advisory Committee are not eligible to receive the award.

There is no limit to the number of nominations that one may submit. The deadline for nominations for the 2018 Outstanding Alumnus Award is January 31, 2018.

A subcommittee of the MECC Alumni and Friends Advisory Committee will select the winner of the award and the winner will be announced at the annual Scholars’ Recognition Night banquet scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

For questions, please contact Jeri Bledsoe in the MECC Foundation office at 276-523-2400, extension 287, or by e-mail at jbledsoe@mecc.edu. You may access the Nomination Form HERE.

Big Stone Gap – DEADLINE TO ENTER THE MECC ALUMNI & FRIENDS TALENT CONTEST EXTENDED TO  OCTOBER 7, 2017

The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation welcomes all alumni and friends to campus for “Southwest Virginia’s Got Talent,” the 2017 alumni and friends event on Saturday, October 14 at 6 p.m. in the Goodloe Center of Phillips-Taylor Hall on the MECC campus. The event is sponsored by Norton Community Hospital and Edward Jones Investments.

The evening will begin with delicious hors d’oeurves at the reception at 6 p.m. in the Slemp Commons,

providing patrons an opportunity to reconnect with friends, former classmates, current and former faculty. The talent show will begin at 6:45 p.m. Audience members will choose the winners of this Talent Show with each audience member receiving one voting ballot. When all acts have performed, the audience will submit their votes, then enjoy coffee and dessert while the votes are being counted.

Family-friendly performances of all types are welcome. The online Entry Form, containing the complete rules and regulations for entering the contest, is available by clicking on the button above. Entrants must e-mail a video for pre-judging. The deadline for submitting Entry Forms and videos to be considered for the show is October 7, 2017. From the video submissions, a subcommittee of the Alumni Advisory Committee will select ten acts to advance to the final contest at the event. First, second, and third place winners will be awarded with cash prizes of $500, $250, and $100 respectively.

Tickets to the event are $5 each, and guests are asked to purchase that at the link below. For questions, or for those who do not have access to a computer, please call Jeri Bledsoe, event coordinator, at 276-523-2400, extension 287, for assistance or tickets.

-MECC Foundation-

Big Stone Gap, VA — The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will induct Mr. Ben E. Allen into its Hall of Honor at the 2017 spring Gala to be held on campus Saturday, May 20, at 6 p.m. Mr. Allen will be recognized for his many years of exemplary service to Mountain Empire Community College and to the region.

The MECC Foundation Hall of Honor was created in 2001 to recognize citizens who have made significant contributions to the area or to the development of Mountain Empire Community College. Mr. Allen began his service on the MECC Foundation Board of Directors in July 1996, and he has served continuously since that time, serving as Chair of the Board in 2006 and 2007. He was made an Emeritus member in July of 2001.

In addition to Mr. Allen’s service to Mountain Empire Community College, he is a leader in service to his community, having served on the Boards of Lenowisco Planning District Commission, the Wise County Industrial Development Authority, Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital, Wellmont Foundation, Big Stone Gap Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and Holston Home for Children, among others.

Mr. Allen served on the Big Stone Gap Town Council during the 70s and again in the 90s, and served as Mayor of Big Stone Gap twice. He has been a member of the Big Stone Gap Lions Club since 1960, and served a President twice.

Mr. Allen was President and General Manager of Southwest Oil Company for over 40 years. Upon retirement from that organization, he served as promoter of Lonesome Pine Raceway, and he, along with Ken Crowder and his son, Mike, has hosted Pigskin Picks, a popular weekly radio sports show, for the last 17 years. Mr. Allen has also served South-West Insurance Company in a public relations capacity for over 20 years. He was the public address announcer for Powell Valley football for four decades. He has been a member of Trinity United Methodist Church for over 50 years, and has served on various church committees.

Mr. Allen has worked tirelessly to make our region a better place to live. He truly cares about others, and he is a friend to all.

The 2017 Gala theme is “You’ve Got a Friend in Ben.”  The evening will begin with a reception in the Slemp Commons of Phillips-Taylor Hall at 6 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner in the Goodloe Center at 6:45 p.m. A short recognition program will follow dinner, and musical entertainment by The Virginians will top off the evening.

Proceeds from the event will establish the Ben E. Allen Hall of Honor Opportunity Fund, an unrestricted fund that will allow the resources to be used where they are needed most.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Tickets to the May 20 Gala are $75 each and may be purchased by calling Jeri Bledsoe at (276) 523-2400, ext. 287, or by e-mailing her at jbledsoe@mecc.edu. Tickets may be purchased or donations made online by going to the MECC Foundation website, www.meccfoundation.org and selecting the “Make a Gift” button.  When completing the information, the form will ask for “Gift Instructions.”  Please specify that the funds are for Gala Tickets, or Gala Donation, or Gala Sponsor, as the case may be.  Donations may also be mailed to MECC Foundation, 3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, VA, 24219, Please make checks payable to MECC Foundation and indicate in the memo section of your check “Ben E. Allen Hall of Honor Opportunity Fund.”

If you have questions, or need additional information about the event, please contact Jeri Bledsoe at 276-523-2400, extension 287, or by e-mail at jbledsoe@mecc.edu.

The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation and Auto World of Big Stone Gap will conduct the Auto World – MECC Golf Classic on Friday, April 28^th at Lonesome Pine Country Club to benefit scholarships at MECC.

Registration for the captain’s choice tournament begins at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9:15 a.m. The tournament will feature two flights and will have “most accurate drive” and “closest to the pin” prizes, as well as chipping and putting contests. Mulligan packages will be available for $10 each.

All players hitting a hole-in-one on hole #10 will win a 2017 Jeep Cherokee sponsored by Auto World of Big Stone Gap. There is also a prize of $1,000 for hitting to within 12 inches of the pin on hole #10. If more than one player accomplishes this feat, they will divide the prize money.

Following the tournament, there will be a cocktail reception featuring delicious heavy hors d’oeuvres. During that time, golfers may bid on some great items during the live auction. There will also be a silent auction which will be ongoing throughout the event.

The entry fee of $100 per person includes a continental breakfast, golf shirt, cart and green fees, post-tournament reception, most accurate drive and closest to the pin contests.

Tournament Sponsorships are available at three levels – Bronze, Silver, and Gold for financial support in the amounts of $500, $1,000, and $1,500 respectively. All tournament sponsors will receive a complimentary team and will be recognized during the tournament welcome and in the printed materials for the tournament.

Hole sponsorships are available for a $100 gift to the MECC Foundation. Hole sponsors will be recognized in the golf tournament program and by signs erected on the golf course.

Individuals or businesses who would like to sponsor the tournament in any way, provide an item for the auction, or provide a door prize may contact Jeri Bledsoe, Tournament Coordinator, by e-mail at jbledsoe@mecc.edu, or by telephone at 276-523-2400, extension 287.

Registrations may also be faxed to 276-523-7485, e-mailed to Jeri Bledsoe at jbledsoe@mecc.edu, or called in to Jeri at 276-523-2400, extension 287. For questions, please contact Jeri at the previously mentioned telephone number or e-mail address.

All proceeds from the event will benefit scholarships for Mountain Empire Community College students. Registration Form