Presenting a $38,750 grant to the new Ottawa County Skilled Trades Academy are Ottawa County Community Fund officials (left to right) Marcia Jess, Mary Coffee, Jan Preston, Tina Hablitzel and President Joy Roth. Accepting the Special Initiatives Support Fund check are Director Jamie Beier Grant of the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation and Jim Lippert of the Ottawa County Skilled Trades Academy.

The Ottawa County Business Advisory Council (BAC) implemented the first ever Ottawa County Skilled Trades Academy at the beginning of the 2019-2010 school year. Thirteen seniors from five school districts — including Danbury, Port Clinton, Oak Harbor, Genoa and Woodmore —

The students will be exploring HVAC, electrical, welding, carpentry, auto mechanics, and maintenance throughout the year.

The Skilled Trades Academy, an expansion of the BAC’s Career Engagement Opportunities Internship Program, would not have been possible without the help of the Ottawa County Community Foundation (OCCF). A $38,750 grant from the Special Initiatives Support Fund for Schools of the OCCF was awarded to support this unique initiative.

Jim Lippert, Skilled Trades Academy Program Instructor, and Jamie Beier Grant, Ottawa County Improvement Corporation Director, accepted the check at the recent Ottawa County Improvement Corporation Annual Meeting.

The Ottawa County Community Foundation is a public charitable organization established in 1999 as a way for donors to pool and invest their gifts for the long-term good of Ottawa County, its residents, and those who live and work in the Ottawa County area. To learn more about the Foundation or how you might start a named fund or scholarship, visit our website: www.ottawaccf.org.