Our Donors

The Ozarks Tech Foundation exists to inspire support of education through giving and by establishing a culture of philanthropy. It works to secure private financial resources to support the college in its mission of providing accessible and affordable learning opportunities.

The Foundation provides scholarships, secures funding for building expansions, raises funds for equipment purchases, advocates for the college, and ensures a successful future for Ozarks Tech. Each year, the Foundation awards more than $650,000 in scholarship assistance to hundreds of Ozarks Tech students with financial need. It also supports the programs and capital projects at the college by securing and managing funds on its behalf.

As the college continues to grow, the Foundation works to keep tuition low and to build additional spaces for student use. It secures resources to obtain the latest equipment and instructional materials, ensuring Ozarks Tech classes keep pace with evolving industry standards. The Foundation continually advocates for the college and strengthens connections between Ozarks Technical Community College and the broader community.

The impact of our work is made possible through the generosity of donors—individuals, businesses, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college—who believe in the power of education. Whether through a one-time gift or an endowed scholarship, donor contributions directly support student success and transform lives. The Foundation is honored to steward these contributions with transparency, gratitude, and a deep commitment to advancing opportunity through education.

James & Cathy Moore

James & Cathy Moore

Jim and Cathy Moore: Champions for Youth and Education James and Catherine Moore believe the best investment anyone can make is in improving the future of children. Guided by this belief, the Springfield couple made a generous $100,000 contribution to Ozarks...

Jarred Welch Memorial

Jarred Welch Memorial

Jarred Mark Welch, age 23, of Shell Knob, Mo., passed away Tuesday, July 29, 2008, in a motorcycle accident in Shell Knob. Jarred was born April 29, 1985, in Oklahoma City, to Mary and Lorri (Watts) Welch. He is survived by his parents; one brother, Dillon Welch of...

Jim and Barbara Towery

Jim and Barbara Towery

When people ask Jim Towery why he is so involved with OTC, he doesn’t have to think twice about how to answer. He’s proud to serve on the OTC Foundation Board of Directors, and he’s quick to share his passion for the college. “The growth and success the college has...

Jim and Debby Baugh

Jim and Debby Baugh

Jim and Debby Baugh believe real heroism lies not in giving, but in the perseverance of students who pursue education despite overwhelming challenges. Since retiring to Springfield in 2011, the couple has become active in a number of philanthropic efforts, including...

Jim Jenkins

Jim Jenkins

About the Jenkins Family For brothers Jim and Dan Jenkins, community and family go hand in hand. As leaders of Jenkins Diesel Power, Inc.—Southwest Missouri’s oldest truck dealership founded by their father, Ed Jenkins, in 1956—they’ve built their success by leaning...

Joe & Betty Jo DeLong Memorial

Joe & Betty Jo DeLong Memorial

Joe DeLong, born in 1920, began working in his father’s blacksmith shop at the age of 12. The Great Depression of the 1930s made it difficult to make a living, so Mr. DeLong moved to Kansas City to work as an aircraft mechanic. In 1944, after brief stays in Topeka...

Joe & Pat Jenkins

Joe & Pat Jenkins

Obituaries: Joe Edward Jenkins January 16, 1938 – December 5, 2017 Joe Jenkins died on December 5, 2017 after battling lung cancer. He was born on January 16, 1938 in Kilgore, Texas to Ed and Rufina Jenkins. He met and married Patricia House in 1957. Joe graduated...

John & Elizabeth Mole Memorial

John & Elizabeth Mole Memorial

An infant boy born in northeastern Great Britain was abandoned by his mother. He was adopted and named John Mole. As a boy, John was a good student and a talented player of British “football.” (The same sport is called “soccer” in the US.) When John completed...

John Lambert Memorial

John Lambert Memorial

On Saturday, September 15, 2012, John M. Lambert, 44, Grayson M. Lambert, 16, McKinley Rae Lambert 15, and Joshua Robert Lambert, 10, died in a tragic plane crash when returning to Springfield from a Kansas City Royals baseball game. Also with them was family friend...

Judge Russell Clark Memorial

Judge Russell Clark Memorial

Judge Russell Gentry Clark dedicated his life to fairness, opportunity, and service—to both his country and his community. Born in Oregon County, Missouri, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1944 to 1946 before earning his law degree...

Judy and Mike Breeding

Judy and Mike Breeding

Judy Breeding may be small in stature but she has played a big role in serving as one of OTC’s most passionate supporters. A native of Houston, Mo., Judy worked as an accountant for more than 30 years. She began her career at BKD as the firm’s first female certified...

Larson Family

Larson Family

Peterbilt of Springfield donates two trucks and creates scholarship at OTC 08/04/2010 – SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Peterbilt of Springfield, Inc., has presented the OTC Foundation, the fundraising arm of Ozarks Technical Community College, with a gift of two diesel tractors,...

Linda Gingry-Clark Memorial

Linda Gingry-Clark Memorial

In 2000, the loving family of the late Linda Gingry-Clark approached OTC about ways to honor her memory. Linda was a caring and nutruing LPN who received her practical nursing certificate from Graff Vocational-Technical School, which is now Ozarks Technical Community...

Linda Joyner Johns Memorial

Linda Joyner Johns Memorial

Linda Joyner Johns was a beloved friend and colleague at Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) who showed the utmost passion towards higher education and serving students before her passing in 2022. Linda married the love of her life, Jeff Johns, in 1991 and in...

Linda Mae Bailey Memorial

Linda Mae Bailey Memorial

Linda and her husband Howard, started a construction company in 1972, building custom homes and commercial buildings until 2005 when their children took over the company. Linda and Howard were also real estate developers having built and owned apartments, hotels, and...

Lineworker

Lineworker

https://academics.otc.edu/electrical-distribution/

Lisa Reece Memorial

Lisa Reece Memorial

Lisa L. (Nicholson) Reece, 59, of Ash Grove, passed away on Saturday, October 7, 2017. Lisa was born on May 4, 1958, to Larry and Betty (Keith) Nicholson in Springfield, MO. On July 7, 1984, Lisa and Mike Reece were united in marriage; together they shared 33...

Marine Corps League Detachment 993

Marine Corps League Detachment 993

Members of the Marine Corps League join in camaraderie and fellowship for the purpose of preserving traditions, promoting the interests of the United States Marine Corps, banding together those who are now serving in the United States Marine Corps and those who have...

Marti Speckman Memorial

Marti Speckman Memorial

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” – II Timothy Martha Ann “Marti” Speckman, 49, of Springfield, Missouri, passed away on March 12, 1998, at ManorCare. Born on January 20, 1949, in Tooele, Utah, Marti was the daughter of...

Mary M. Harrison

Mary M. Harrison

When Mary Harrison began thinking about how she would like to help students continue their education, she knew she wanted to help students pursing a nursing degree or have a military background. Having three uncles serve in WWII, she and her father have always...

Max and Fern DeForest Memorial

Max and Fern DeForest Memorial

Max and Fern DeForest were lifelong learners and community-minded individuals who believed in the power of education to transform lives. Their desire to support students led to the creation of the Max and Fern DeForest Memorial Scholarship in 2016, a lasting tribute...

Michael F. Kavanaugh and Rosa Kavanaugh Davis

Michael F. Kavanaugh and Rosa Kavanaugh Davis

Michael Flynn “Mike” Kavanaugh was born in Little Rock and grew up in Kentucky, Missouri and Mississippi. After graduating from Hattiesburg High School, he went on to earn a BS degree at University of Southern Mississippi, MSEE from University of Arkansas at...

Michael Pulley

Michael Pulley

Michael Pulley found a way to impact OTC students long after his retirement. Thanks to earnings from his latest writing project, the former OTC English instructor endowed the Michael Pulley Scholarship Fund through the OTC Foundation. The scholarship will support...

Missouri Dental Association

Missouri Dental Association

The MDA is a non-profit, professional organization with more than 2,000 members statewide, representing all areas of dentistry. Founded in 1865, the MDA is a unified organization of individual members committed to the highest quality of care for the public and a...

Musgrave Foundation

Musgrave Foundation

Imagine being able to touch the lives of people you’ll never know 10 years, 50 years, even 100 years after your death. That is precisely what Jeannette L. Musgrave did with the formation of her private foundation in 1983. Since its inception, the Musgrave Foundation...

Musgrave Foundation

Musgrave Foundation

Imagine being able to touch the lives of people you’ll never know 10 years, 50 years, even 100 years after your death. That is precisely what Jeannette L. Musgrave did with the formation of her private foundation in 1983. Since its inception, the Musgrave Foundation...

Nina Myers Memorial

Nina Myers Memorial

Norma J. Ennis Memorial

Norma J. Ennis Memorial

Norma Ennis was born during the great depression to a farming family in a tiny town of Southwest Missouri. From a young age, she wanted to be a nurse, but Norma’s dream of becoming a nurse was hard fought. The expense of college and a rapidly growing family meant...

OTC Foundation

OTC Foundation

Each fall, the OTC Foundation hosts an annual golf tournament to raise funds for the OTC Foundation Golf Tournament Scholarship for students attending Ozarks Tech. The tournament is hosted at Hickory Hills Country Club and has provided over 200 scholarships! OTC...

Ozarks Antique Auto Club

Ozarks Antique Auto Club

At Ozarks Antique Auto Club, our vision is to create and enhance greater interest and awareness of the need to preserve, restore, drive and display a part of America’s heritage as it relates to antique automobiles and the world. Our mission is to promote and...