Public Invited to Seventh “Hall of Fame” Awards

Manchester, Conn. (January 24, 2017) – Supporters of Manchester Community College are invited to join MCC Foundation in honoring distinguished members of the community with the seventh annual “Hall of Fame” awards at a special brunch Sunday, February 12, 11:30 a.m. at A Villa Louisa in Bolton, Conn. The snow date is Sunday, February 19.

Each year MCC Foundation honors individuals or groups who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to Manchester Community College. Two awards are bestowed: Extraordinary Volunteer Service award and Investor of the Year award.

Honorees will be MCC Professor Lucy Hurston ’93, of Bloomfield, recipient of the Extraordinary Volunteer Service award; and Manchester-based Fuss & O’Neill, Inc, with special recognition to CEO Peter Grose as Investor of the Year.

Reservations for the brunch are required. For more information and to register, visit www.manchestercc.edu/hall-of-fame. The cost is $20 per person. Please register by Friday, February 3, to ensure a reservation.

Fuss & O’Neill has been a supporter of Manchester Community College students and programs for many years, according to JoAnn Thulin, MCC Foundation board member and chair of the Hall of Fame nominating committee. “Through participation on the board and many employees’ individual donations for scholarships and programs. Fuss & O’Neill and MCC are true partners with a shared interest: the betterment of our community and region,” she said.

Grose, who will accept the award, has been with Fuss & O’Neill for more than 30 years and has served as CEO for the last six years. He directs the firm’s consulting practice and three affiliated limited liability companies. He has served on the MCC Foundation board since 2013, his community involvement also includes the Manchester Road Race Development Committee and Manchester Soccer Club Board of Directors.

Hurston earned her associate in science degree from MCC and went on to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology before joining the faculty. She is being honored for her work as a professor and chair of the sociology department, where she encourages service learning as a graduation requirement, and her participation as faculty advisor to the Black Student Union, advisor to the MCC Habitat for Humanity Club, co-chair of the Women’s Caucus and a career’s worth of service to the college going back to the 1990s, as well as for her personal support of the foundation. She is a lifetime member of the MCC Alumni Association.

“Our annual Hall of Fame brunch recognizes our volunteers and partners who help keep the relationship between the college and our community alive and relevant,” said Gena Glickman, president of MCC. “I am very pleased to welcome Fuss & O’Neill led by Peter Grose and our own Professor Lucy Hurston into this prestigious group of supporters of our mission.”

About MCC Foundation – Manchester Community College Foundation, Inc. is a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 Connecticut corporation. It is governed by a volunteer board of directors, composed of business and community leaders who serve as advocates for the college and secure support for college priorities. Since 1968, MCC Foundation has supported the college’s strategic initiatives via funding for student scholarships, college programs, and equipment. MCC Foundation helps build a network of community support and promotes better public understanding of the college as a regional resource.