A reason to be thankful

Editor’s Note: Earlier this year, I launched a monthly column in The Naples Press called "Your University." It looks at the connections between FGCU and Collier County. In honor of Thanksgiving, here’s my column from November.

I don’t have to tell you we have been through a lot in Southwest Florida over the last few years. Out of the challenges have sprung opportunities. My default position is looking for the positive during times of great challenge, and this column will be no different. For this Thanksgiving, I’m taking stock of the many gifts we are thankful for at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Our community’s philanthropic support has helped FGCU turn ideas into impact. Through the FGCU Foundation, we raise money to support specific projects. That can include student scholarships, support for research and programs and endowed faculty positions.

Many different people and organizations based in Collier County have given to FGCU over the years. Their names are on our buildings, endowments and other funds that make an impact on student life. But this time last year, a Collier County business did something for FGCU that had never happened before.

Before I reveal the nature of that generous gift, let me give you a bit of backstory.

In 2015, we announced our intent to create new programs that would directly respond to Southwest Florida’s workforce needs. Among those degrees was construction management. The program launched just as the pandemic was getting started. There has been tremendous support for this program from the building industry, and our students are prospering because of it.

Less than a month after Hurricane Ian tore through our region, we received a significant investment in the program as a $2.5 million gift.

Naples-based Stock Development, a diversified real estate company created by K.C. and Brian Stock, made the gift to FGCU’s construction management program. In gratitude, the university named the program the Stock Development Department of Construction Management. This marked the first time in FGCU’s history that a department within a college was named to honor a donor.

As you might have expected, the money is being used to support scholarships, but it also provides funding to help students expand their range of participation in extracurricular activities. Those include skills-based building competitions. Moreover, the funds help facilitate timely upgrades to laboratory equipment and technology. It also supports faculty research and other professional development opportunities to deliver a high-quality program in a state-of-the-art learning environment.

I looked at the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Students entering the construction management field can expect a median salary of more than $101,000 a year. Between now and 2032, the industry will likely see a 5% increase in the jobs this degree will support. Given the pace of building in Southwest Florida, our students can likely secure quality jobs and stay here upon graduation.

When Stock Development made the gift, the company’s president, Matt Sellick, said, “We’re seeing a huge need for the next wave of industry professionals. Our goal is to keep the talent coming through FGCU, our university in Southwest Florida. We need them here.”

To date, 88% of our construction management graduates have stayed in Southwest Florida and are working in the industry. There are currently 292 students in the program. We’re expecting 13 to graduate in December.

As a young university without the resources of some long-established institutions, philanthropic gifts to FGCU have a real impact on our students, the university and, ultimately, our community. That’s why I emphasize that FGCU is an economic engine; we grow by aligning and responding to the needs of our region with the support of our community. The Stock Development gift is an excellent example of a Collier County organization investing in the future of our region. I’m excited to see what the future brings for this program and the industry as a whole.

As we inch closer to Thanksgiving, I speak for my colleagues, students and alums in saying “thank you” for supporting FGCU.

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This column appeared in the Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, edition of The Naples Press. Copyright 2023 by The Naples Press. Used with permission.