Council for Advancement and Support of Education awards celebrate outstanding achievements in educational advancement 

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has named Mid-State Technical College a recipient of the 2023 Circle of Excellence Award. Mid-State’s winning entry is among just 178 bronze awards received from over 4,000 entries worldwide, putting it in the top 4 percent of submissions. Mid-State staff will present the project and collect the award at the Conference for Community College Advancement October 4–6 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Mid-State’s award, in the category of multi-year fundraising campaigns with less than 50 staff, recognizes the College’s successful drive to raise $13 million to build and equip the Wayne H. Bushman Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering Technology and Apprenticeship (AMETA™) Center in Stevens Point. CASE Award judges described the campaign as an excellent major gift focused effort with an impressive return on investment that could be replicated at other institutions. 

“We have been amazed and inspired at the number and variety of partners who came forward to support this important project,” said Mid-State’s president, Dr. Shelly Mondeik. “It’s exciting to that see our innovative approach to leveraging partnerships at all levels has captured global interest and is being recognized as a best practice for others to emulate.”

The AMETA Center campaign was Mid-State’s response to the current and projected shortage of local workers with the skills needed for advanced manufacturing. Joining Mid-State’s campaign committee were local industry campaign chairs Wayne Bushman, Joe Kinsella and Scott Groholski, representing apprenticeship, advanced manufacturing and engineering technology, respectively. The cross-functional team worked together to leverage partnerships to build and equip a cutting-edge training destination to cultivate Wisconsin’s next generation workforce and usher in industry 4.0 technology and opportunities for student and incumbent-worker skill advancement.

Through their collaborative grassroots capital campaign, the College and its partners raised the $13 million needed for construction plus another nearly $10 million for furniture, fixtures and all equipment. The funds were secured from over 127 local, state and national partners, without the use of consultants or fully dedicated campaign staff.

“We are thrilled that our grassroots fundraising campaign has been such a success and are incredibly proud of the way our communities rallied together to solve our own workforce challenges,” said Dr. Bobbi Damrow, Mid-State’s vice president of Workforce Development and Community Relations and AMETA Center campaign manager. “Looking back to when we launched the campaign in 2019, some questioned whether we could raise the capital needed, but we just kept asking, ‘If not us, then who?’ Doing nothing was not an option, and we couldn’t be happier that the project demonstrates what is possible when concerned citizens believe, roll up their sleeves and work together to do what’s needed.”

Starting in fall 2024 the AMETA Center will house new and expanded advanced manufacturing and engineering degree programs as well as apprenticeship training. It will also provide new and expanded workforce training and industry certifications. It will be a hub for innovation, connection and economic growth in central Wisconsin.

CASE’s Circle of Excellence Awards are the premier recognition program for educational advancement. These peer-selected and adjudicated awards honor colleges, universities and schools worldwide whose talented staff have advanced their institutions with resourcefulness and ingenuity.  

“The Circle of Excellence Awards showcase the impact advancement professionals have upon their institutions and communities around the globe, every day,” said CASE President and CEO Sue Cunningham. “Our 2023 honorees—from diverse institutions and teams of all sizes—are bold, creative and resourceful. They demonstrate how powerful it is when advancement teams champion teaching, learning, research and the progress that education ignites.”

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CASE is a global, not-for-profit membership association with a vision to advance education to transform lives and society. CASE is the home for advancement professionals, inspiring, challenging and equipping them to act effectively and with integrity to champion the success of their institutions. CASE defines the competencies and standards for the profession of advancement, leading and championing their dissemination and application with more than 97,000 advancement professionals at 3,100 member institutions in 80 countries. CASE works across all continents from its regional offices in London, Singapore and Mexico City to achieve a seamless experience for all its stakeholders, particularly its members, volunteers and staff. 

Learn more about the AMETA Center at mstc.edu/ameta.