The digital magazine for faculty, staff, students and friends of Pensacola State College
October 15, 2020
Former Escambia County District 2 Commissioner Gene Valentino knows how to start a business. A successful entrepreneur, Valentino has founded numerous companies and even dabbled in film production.

Valentino hopes a gift to the Pensacola State College Foundation will help spur the growth of the College’s Entrepreneurship Program, which began in 2018.

In January, Valentino and his wife, Maureen, gifted property in Chumuckla appraised at $250,000, as well as an additional $20,000 to PSC to support the Entrepreneurship Program. The College will eventually sell the 4-acre-plus property and use the funds to establish an endowed scholarship and program support for Business Entrepreneurship students in the Valentino name. Students also will participate in an entrepreneurship competition for the scholarships each year.

On Wednesday, the Valentinos were at the Pensacola campus when the College said “Thank You” by renaming a lecture hall in Building 10 in their honor. The ceremony also included the unveiling of a portrait of the couple inside the Gene and Maureen Valentino Lecture Hall.
2020 Day of Clays raises more than $90,000 for PSC Fund for Excellence
More than $90,000 was raised at Pensacola State College’s 12th annual Day of Clays held Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Santa Rosa Shooting Center in Pace. 

Presented by Trane, the fundraiser featured 111 shooters who participated to support Pensacola State students and programs through the PSC Foundation Fund for Excellence. 

Day of Clays Planning Committee members were Todd Alford, Lewis Bear III, Diane Bracken, Jimmy Bradley, Barry Cole, Jon Green, Eric Hanssen, Evan Helinski, Event Chairman Ron Jackson, Mike Morette, Eddie Norris, Adam Purdy and Chris Roney. 

Breakfast treats were sponsored by Hewes and Company and a delicious lunch was compliments of Chet’s Catering, Morette Company and The Lewis Bear Company. Rockhill Farms returned as the Cart Sponsor and Jerry Pate Company came on board this year as a cart provider. AJAX Building Corporation sponsored a Gun Cleaning Station (first for the event).

A lunch and awards ceremony followed the shoot. The winners were:

Overall Shooters: Course A and Course B
Donald Goolsby and Russ Harris
Overall Winning Teams
Course A

First-place: The Lewis Bear Company
Lewis Bear III, Jenn Bear, Lindsey Engle and Corte Minto

Second-place: Ready Mix USA/Cemex    
David Snyder, Henry Scott, Nate Snyder and Donald Goolsby

Third-place: Bill Smith Electric 
Bill Smith, Caleb Smith, Charles Wade and Jerry Moore
 
Course B
First-place: Elite Mechanical
James Solliday, Michael Solliday, Randy Hendricks and Russ Harris

Second-place: HG Engineers
Caleb Leonard, Kyle Schnieder, Steve Leonard and Seth Leonard

Third-place: Sun Farm Energy 
Doug Herrick, Boo Rawson, Cody Rawson and Greg McWherter 
 
Men’s Overall Course A and Course B
First-place: Lewis Bear III and Russ Harris
Second-place: Donald Goolsby and Mike Morette
Third-place: Henry Scott and Randy Hendricks
 
Ladies Overall Course A and Course B
Ladies Overall: Boo Rawson
First-place: Lindsey Engel and Katie Ranya
Second-place: Jenn Bear
Third-place: Corte Minto
 
Junior Overall Course A and Course B
First-place: Carson Lane and Cooper Crawford
Second-place: Clinton Green
First Place Team, Course A: The Lewis Bear Company
PSC partners with Florida DOE for workforce education initiative
Pensacola State College is excited to join forces with the Florida Department of Education for a new workforce education initiative aimed at raising awareness of short-term career and technical education programs. Get There Florida highlights the key benefits of the programs available locally in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties and to all Floridians statewide.

“This partnership is critical at this particular time due to the loss of jobs and closure of small businesses in Northwest Florida because of COVID-19,” said Ed Meadows, President of Pensacola State College. “Our certificate programs are designed to help individuals gain skills for the workforce in as little as 10 weeks. Many of our short certificate programs have career ladder opportunities for longer certificates and degrees.”

Career and technical education, often referred to as “CTE,” serves as a critical component in preparing individuals for occupations important to Florida’s economic development. Program offerings are organized into 17 career paths and are geared toward middle school, high school, district technical school, and Florida College System students throughout the state.

“Get There accelerates student success, preparing them for their future and ensuring a talented workforce,” said Kathy Hebda, Chancellor of the Florida College System. “With 28 state colleges and 48 technical colleges and centers spanning the state, there is a program for everyone. Whether you’ve recently experienced job loss, graduated high school or are simply looking for a career change or opportunity to stack your credentials into a degree – we want to help you Get There.”

At Pensacola State College students can enroll in an in-demand, high-quality workforce program, move quickly, and gain critical skills needed in Northwest Florida essential and emerging industries. Programs include:

  • Commercial Vehicle Driving
  • CNC Machinist/Fabricator 
  • Emergency Medical Technician  
  • Medical Information Coder/Biller
  • Phlebotomy 

“Career and technical education matters more than ever,” said Henry Mack, Chancellor for Career, Technical and Adult Education. “Get There raises awareness about CTE and helps everyone envision the power of a workforce training opportunity for professional and personal well being. By connecting students to a high value credentials at our state colleges, we will be sure to reach our goal of becoming No. 1 in workforce education by 2030.”


At GetThereFL.com, Floridians can learn more about CTE and workforce training programs available at state and technical colleges, align their interests with a career path and connect with their local institution to enroll.
Gunter receives 2020 SkillsUSA Florida Honorary Life Membership Award
For almost a decade, Rebecca Gunter has been a part of Pensacola State College’s SkillsUSA program.

This year, Gunter’s countless hours of dedication to the College’s SkillsUSA chapter, along with the regional, state and national programs, have earned her the SkillsUSA Florida Honorary Life Membership Award.

The Honorary Life Membership Award is the highest honor SkillsUSA bestows and is reserved for those who dedicate service to the organization over a long period of time. Recipients receive a plaque, and their name is recorded in SkillsUSA Florida’s official history.

“I feel quite honored that the board of directors of SkillsUSA Florida would select me to receive the Honorary Life Membership Award,” said Gunter, an office assistant in the College’s Student and Program Outreach Department.

 “In 2012, Jennifer Ponson hired me part-time to assist her office with the preparations, coordination and logistics for the SkillsUSA Florida State Leadership and Skills Conference hosted for the first time by Pensacola State College.”

Ponson, the College’s coordinator of Student and Program Outreach and the SkillsUSA Florida Region 1 coordinator, said the honor is well-deserved.

“Rebecca is an integral part of the success of our SkillsUSA program and has been instrumental in the successes of the state conferences that PSC has hosted,” she added.

Pensacola State hosted the SkillsUSA Florida 2012, 2013 and 2014 and 2018 and 2019 conferences at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola. The 2020 state conference was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However Gunter had worked alongside Ponson preparing for the event up until the cancellation.

“Once Jennifer introduced me to world of SkillsUSA, I was so proud to be affiliated with the organization,” she said. “I really appreciate the many opportunities that it provides our students ─ helping them achieve their career and life goals.”

Gunter’s devotion to SkillsUSA goes far beyond the state conferences. She assists Ponson, who also is the secretary/treasurer of the SkillsUSA Florida Board of Directors, with preparing the official minutes of annual meetings. And Gunter has been instrumental with the successes of the Worlds of Possibilities Career Expo, which introduced Northwest Florida middle school students to skilled and technical careers.

In the Honorary Life Membership Award announcement, SkillsUSA Florida officials described Gunter as a positive influence on the organization.

“Rebecca is known for her organization, commitment and attention to detail. She is loyal and a true champion, always willing to pitch in for the good of SkillsUSA,” the announcement said.

“… She has served the organization for 10 years and has been instrumental to the success of our State Leadership and Skills Conference. Rebecca truly exemplifies our mission and supports SkillsUSA Florida in any way she can.”

Gunter’s history with Pensacola State goes back more than 20 years. In 2000, she was hired by Ponson as an administrative assistant in the Continuing Education Department on the Warrington campus.

“When that department was dissolved on the Warrington campus, I worked in the Dental Clinic. After that, I worked for the Marketing Department and the Visual Arts Department before leaving the College in December 2005,” Gunter said.

Gunter and her husband, Larry, have two adult sons, Nick and Chris; a dog, Gracie; and several cats. The couple lives in Gulf Breeze.

-- Mary Mabins
The Pirate Food Pantry still is accepting donations at each of the PSC campus locations to help students in need. Items such as peanut butter, canned tuna or chicken, beans, and rice are especially needed. Quick snacks and meals that can easily be heated up are also in high demand. We know that this is a difficult time for so many in our community and that local resources are stretched thin. Anything you are able to donate will mean so much to our students.

If you are interested in providing a cash donation rather than items, contact Lynsey Listau, 850-484-2128, llistau@pensacolastate.edu.
Check out PSC’s fully-accredited Veterinary Technology Program at healthprograms@pensacolastate.edu, or visit https://www.pensacolastate.edu/academic-programs/vet-as/.
Chart your own course to a critical-care nursing certificate: https://www.pensacolastate.edu/academic-programs/ccn-atc/
STAY IN TOUCH ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For official Pensacola State College information, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.