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CPCC Dedicates the Christa and Reece A. Overcash Academic and Performing Arts Center
Event honors generous gift to community college education
On Thursday, May 4, Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) dedicated the new Christa and Reece A. Overcash Academic and Performing Arts Center (Central Campus – 1201 Elizabeth Avenue). The 130,000 square foot facility has become a signature building for CPCC, providing a magnificent entry to the College’s Central Campus and gateway to Charlotte’s Elizabeth district. During the dedication, remarks were made by Dr. Tony Zeiss, President of CPCC; Parks Helms, Chairperson of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners; Ralph Pitts, Chairman of the CPCC Board of Trustees; Thomas Norman, President of the CPCC Foundation Board of Directors; John M. Belk, Chairman Emeritus of Belk, Inc. and Chairman of the Belk Foundation, as well as Mrs. Overcash’s minister Rev. Dr. Stephen Shoemaker, Senior Minister at Myers Park Baptist Church. The dedication was followed by a reception and dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the Overcash Academic and Performing Arts Center.
Christa Overcash’s generous gift to name the Christa and Reece A. Overcash Academic and Performing Arts Center continues a wonderful legacy of financial support and family commitment to community college education. The tradition was started over a quarter century ago by Christa and her late husband, Reece A. Overcash, former Chairman and CEO of Texas-based Associates Corporation (now Associates First Capital Corporation). Christa Overcash’s involvement with CPCC began in 1995 with her support of the “Winning Partnerships” campaign. In 1999, she made a contribution which named the Christa A. Overcash Nursing Program at CPCC; and in May, 2000, she was recognized for this gift as the “North Carolina Benefactor of the Year” by the Community College Council for Resource Development. In 2005, she joined the Board of Directors of the CPCC Foundation.
The gift to name the Overcash Center will benefit CPCC by creating an endowment which will support the operations of the Center, provide scholarships and books to students with financial needs, and provide increased support for the Christa A. Overcash Nursing Program.
Christa and Reece A. Overcash shared a commitment to civic responsibility and a belief in the community college system. Reece A. Overcash was noted for saying, “The community college system may be the most important educational institution that we have in America today.”
The 130,000 square foot facility, which was designed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and constructed by Rodgers Builders, is the newest addition to CPCC’s Central Campus. The Center serves as the home for the College’s arts programs, including theater, dance, music, and the visual arts. The building also contains instructional studios, classrooms, and seminar rooms, as well as faculty offices. In addition, the Center houses the College’s student life programs to include student organizations and clubs, campus ministry and counseling offices, and other student support services. A large student commons area provides food services, lounges, and meeting space.
A prominent element of the Center is the 1,000-seat Dale F. Halton Theater. This state-of-the-art facility serves as a venue for College theatrical, musical, and dance productions, as well as national and international touring companies and major lectures. The Center also includes a 175 seat recital/lecture hall and the Elizabeth Ross Gallery, which displays exhibits by faculty and student artists as well as touring exhibits and works from the College’s collection.
“We are extremely appreciative to Christa Overcash for her support of Central Piedmont Community College and the work that we do,” states Dr. Tony Zeiss, President of CPCC. “It is an honor to be able to name this outstanding facility after Christa and Reece A. Overcash. The Christa and Reece A. Overcash Academic and Performing Arts Center has already become a signature building for the College, and we look forward to serving our students and the entire community through this fine facility.”
Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering 100 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.
Christa Overcash’s generous gift to name the Christa and Reece A. Overcash Academic and Performing Arts Center continues a wonderful legacy of financial support and family commitment to community college education. The tradition was started over a quarter century ago by Christa and her late husband, Reece A. Overcash, former Chairman and CEO of Texas-based Associates Corporation (now Associates First Capital Corporation). Christa Overcash’s involvement with CPCC began in 1995 with her support of the “Winning Partnerships” campaign. In 1999, she made a contribution which named the Christa A. Overcash Nursing Program at CPCC; and in May, 2000, she was recognized for this gift as the “North Carolina Benefactor of the Year” by the Community College Council for Resource Development. In 2005, she joined the Board of Directors of the CPCC Foundation.
The gift to name the Overcash Center will benefit CPCC by creating an endowment which will support the operations of the Center, provide scholarships and books to students with financial needs, and provide increased support for the Christa A. Overcash Nursing Program.
Christa and Reece A. Overcash shared a commitment to civic responsibility and a belief in the community college system. Reece A. Overcash was noted for saying, “The community college system may be the most important educational institution that we have in America today.”
The 130,000 square foot facility, which was designed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and constructed by Rodgers Builders, is the newest addition to CPCC’s Central Campus. The Center serves as the home for the College’s arts programs, including theater, dance, music, and the visual arts. The building also contains instructional studios, classrooms, and seminar rooms, as well as faculty offices. In addition, the Center houses the College’s student life programs to include student organizations and clubs, campus ministry and counseling offices, and other student support services. A large student commons area provides food services, lounges, and meeting space.
A prominent element of the Center is the 1,000-seat Dale F. Halton Theater. This state-of-the-art facility serves as a venue for College theatrical, musical, and dance productions, as well as national and international touring companies and major lectures. The Center also includes a 175 seat recital/lecture hall and the Elizabeth Ross Gallery, which displays exhibits by faculty and student artists as well as touring exhibits and works from the College’s collection.
“We are extremely appreciative to Christa Overcash for her support of Central Piedmont Community College and the work that we do,” states Dr. Tony Zeiss, President of CPCC. “It is an honor to be able to name this outstanding facility after Christa and Reece A. Overcash. The Christa and Reece A. Overcash Academic and Performing Arts Center has already become a signature building for the College, and we look forward to serving our students and the entire community through this fine facility.”
Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering 100 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.