The National Park College (NPC) Foundation hosted the Giving Circle last month, honoring
their commitment to endow a fund at $50,000 in memory of Don Munro, a longtime board
member and supporter of education and workforce development. The fund will be used
to further the career success of students studying various applied skills and administrative
areas to become workforce-ready. The fund will support both the NPC Career Services
Internship program and NPC’s Community and Workforce Training apprenticeship program.
In addition to the original endowment, the Foundation received generous contributions
from the Arkansas Community Foundation and the Munro Family to support this effort.
Executive Director of the NPC Foundation, Nicole Herndon opened the event by saying,
“Mr. Munro served upon the National Park College Foundation board for nearly 40 years.
He was a champion of workforce in our community and he was a champion of student success.
Today we want to share our gratitude, not only with the Giving Circle, but Arkansas
Community Foundation and of course, Mollie, you, your siblings and family members
for supporting this endowment. With the generous gifts, National Park College established
the Don Munro Philanthropic Fund. This will support both our Career Services Readiness
Internship program as well as our apprenticeship programs. We are continually grateful
for the impact Mr. Munro had on the College.”
Darla Thurber, Vice President of Student Services discussed the impact this endowment
will have on both Career Services and apprenticeships. “Your generous contribution
in memory of Don Munro will have a lasting impact on the lives of our students, providing
them with invaluable opportunities for professional growth and development. Your dedication
to honoring Mr. Munro’s legacy by investing in the education and future success of
National Park College students is greatly appreciated. With your support, we can continue
to empower students to achieve their goals, pursue their passions, and contribute
meaningfully to their communities. The ripple effect of your kindness will extend
far beyond the internship experiences it funds, positively influencing the lives and
careers of those who benefit from this initiative,” said Thurber.
Vice President for Workforce, Bill Allison spoke about the impact the endowment would
have on apprenticeships. “The funds that will contribute to our programs will absolutely
increase the skill set of our apprentices right here in Garland county. We know that
apprentices have a 94% retention rate after one year of employment when completed
an apprenticeship program. And so, by having the ability to give them some hands-on
training through the purchase of equipment, and to be able to fill our lab space,
we’ll probably see those types of retention rates increase.” He added, “On behalf
of National Park College, I want to thank you for your generous support of our apprenticeship
programs and the future workforce of our community.”
Mollie Munro, daughter of Don Munro, expressed her gratitude for the endowment and
the legacy of her father. “I just wanted to say on behalf of Dad and our family, how
much we appreciate everything that all of you in this room and many more have done
to support our community, Hot Springs, Garland county, the state of Arkansas. But,
as you know, Dad, his first and foremost belief and love of philanthropy was education.
Education truly is the best way to transform a life. And he lived it, he breathed
it, he instilled in his children the gratitude that he was able to give us all an
education without us all having to take advantage of state supported or grants or
such things. And, that’s a huge thing. We didn’t realize it at the time of course,
we take for granted these things that your parents give you.”
Munro noted the significance of being able to see all of the things her father was
able to accomplish along with the Giving Circle and the impact education can have
on people. “I can’t say strongly enough that the mission is one of the most important
ones that anyone can undertake. Teaching is the most important profession. We cannot
teach our children if we cannot teach our adults, there is very little for us to hope
for. We have a tremendous amount of cultural, social, environmental and technological
change getting ready to hit us, and only educational centers such as this can prepare
these kids. It’s so overwhelming. Thank you for stepping up, National Park, and helping
these young people.”
The Giving Circle’s goal with this gift is to promote the Don Munro Philanthropic
Endowment Fund to help keep his name alive. The hope is that this endowment will also
provide a vehicle for NPC to raise additional funding to benefit students and the
workforce. A plaque was created, at the request of the Giving Circle, to honor Don
Munro.
The NPC Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the mission and vision
of National Park College by raising funds for scholarships, programs, facilities,
and other initiatives. The Foundation also manages and invests the assets of the organization
and distributes funds according to the donor’s wishes and the Foundation’s policies.
The Foundation’s goal is to enhance the quality of life for the students and the community
served by the College.
