William Loope, vice president of institutional advancement and workforce education at New River Community and Technical College, will be presented the Campus Impact Award for Outstanding Grants Professional at the national conference of the Council for Resource Development (CRD) in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Nov. 10.
The Council for Resource Development is the professional organization of community college advancement professionals. The Campus Impact Award is presented to a staff member of a CRD member college or foundation whose efforts in raising funds from grants and proposals have made a significant impact on the college and/or the students it serves.
Loope was recognized for his leadership in the acquisition of the former Excel Homes manufacturing facility in Ghent for use as a regional center for technical training. The Advanced Technology Center opened in 2010 and now houses a number of technical training programs including line service mechanic, welding, weatherization, mechatronics, and auto and diesel mechanic.
The nomination submitted by New River stated: “Bill Loope’s extensive network of personal contacts among business, industry and political leaders throughout the region and the nation helped to forge the partnerships required to acquire and equip the Advanced Technology Center and create programs that are in the greatest demand by employers in the region.
“Mr. Loope was the first person to recognize the potential of the building that eventually became the Advanced Technology Center. The sight of a vacant 93,000-square-foot building on level ground with additional acreage just off Interstate 77 in the heart of New River’s service area was too great a temptation for him to pass up. He immediately made President Ted D. Spring aware of the availability of the property and began working behind the scenes to negotiate a favorable price with the owners. Fortunately, the pursuit of the property coincided with the availability of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding, and Mr. Loope and Dr. Spring immediately set the wheels in motion to apply for federal funding. After discussions with then-Governor Joe Manchin, New River applied for and was awarded a $3.3 million American Recovery and Reinvestment grant to acquire the Ghent property.”
Loope also applied for a number of state grants to support program development at the center. Thus far, his efforts have resulted in state and federal grants for programs including welding, weatherization and entrepreneurship.
“Bill Loope has made a permanent impact not only on the college, but on all of southeastern West Virginia through his tireless efforts to secure resources for expanding educational opportunities for our students,” stated former New River President Ted D. Spring. “We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for his tireless service to this region.”
