Mercord family honored for FVCC support
The Mercords, a family of longtime supporters of Flathead Valley Community College, were presented the college’s prestigious Eagle Award for the 2012-13 academic year.
College President Jane Karas made the presentation during the 18th annual President’s Donor Dinner May 16.
The award honors people who have made outstanding contributions to FVCC.
The Mercords’ history with the college dates back to the leadership role Chuck Mercord played when FVCC was founded and has continued with active participation and support today.
In 2004, Chuck Mercord, a longtime local banker, was honored with the Eagle Award.
“This family has made FVCC a family tradition throughout the college’s 46 years,” Karas said. “In addition to sharing their generosity, the members of this family have set an example of passing leadership and service from one generation to the next.”
The Mercord family established a memorial for Chuck at FVCC, and through gifts from the family and community members, it provided generous funding to build the FVCC Scholars classroom and study area.
The family also established an endowment for the Scholars Program to provide mini-grants for students to attend regional and national research conferences to present their undergraduate research. The endowment also provides an annual Mercord Family Scholarship for a student with great financial need.
Kathy Mercord is on the FVCC Associate Foundation board and on event committees, including Festival of Flavors and the donor development committee. In partnership with the foundation, she oversees the Owen E. Sowerwine, Alton Pearce and Milton Mercord Memorial Fund at FVCC, a fund established in part in memory of Chuck’s father, Milton Mercord.
Their daughter, Leslie Mercord, an accomplished investment provider, has played an extensive role on the college’s foundation board, serving five years as treasurer and as chair of the board the past two years.
She previously led the board’s finance and investment committee. Under her leadership, the Foundation assets doubled, events and projects grew, and a record number of scholarships were awarded.
She served on the executive committee for two major fundraising campaigns for buildings, the last being the Rebecca Chaney Broussard Center for Nursing and Health Science.
Karas acknowledged the family for sharing its passion for education and the value that a community college brings to Northwest Montana to serve local students and bring them a better life.
“FVCC owes a debt of gratitude, and we are a better college because of the leadership, service and generosity of this family,” Karas said.
Past recipients of the award include: 1990-91: Owen Sowerwine; 1991-92: Larry Blake; 1992-93: Roger Rettenmeier; 1993-94: Janice Hart; 1994-95: Janet Bierrum; 1995-96: Jeanette Oliver; 1996-97: Lil Laidlaw; 1997-98: Faith Hodges; 1998-99: Shirley Bowdish and Mel Ruder; 1999-2000: Pat LaTourelle; 2000-01: Dr. Herman “Chet” Ross; 2001-02: Kathy Hughes; 2002-03: Annie Beall; 2003-04: F. Charles “Chuck” Mercord; 2004-05: Ivan Lorentzen; 2005-06: George Shryock; 2006-07: Bill Roope; 2007-08: Paul Williams; 2008-09: John D. Engebretson; 2009-10: Ruth Ackroyd; 2010-11: Bill and Lois McClaren; and 2011-12: Nancy Gordley.
The perpetual award of the college symbol, a soaring bald eagle, is permanently displayed in the foyer of Blake Hall on the FVCC campus. Each year’s recipient’s name is engraved on a gold plate and mounted under the eagle, joining the other award winners.