PÕ¾ÊÓƵ

Advanced Workforce Training Complex Named in Honor of Eastman Family

November 9, 2021 Suzanne Seldes

FORT PIERCE, FL— PÕ¾ÊÓƵ's newest building will be named for engineer, inventor and entrepreneur Richard H. Eastman and his family. The naming comes after Eastman pledged one of the largest gifts in PÕ¾ÊÓƵ history—$2 million—in support of the forthcoming Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex. The purpose-built facility, scheduled for a 2023 opening, will link advanced technology and leading-edge industry training in specialized technical career fields such as advanced manufacturing; automotive, aviation and marine technology; welding; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; and more.

"PÕ¾ÊÓƵ is grateful for Mr. Eastman's generosity and leadership," states PÕ¾ÊÓƵ District Board of Trustees Chair Sandra Krischke. "His gift ensures that our region can produce highly skilled labor to meet current and future needs. The advanced learning environments that comprise the Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex are critical for closing the regional skills gap and preparing our residents for high-wage, in-demand careers. "

It is Eastman's philosophy that by supporting the building, he is supporting PÕ¾ÊÓƵ students, which in turn benefits our community for generations to come.

"The Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex and the programs and services it will offer will help people of all ages find great opportunity in today's complex society," shares Richard H. Eastman. "It is my honor to join with President Moore and his team to help all students, no matter what circumstance they are in, and give them the skills they need to make a good living to provide for themselves and their families."

The PÕ¾ÊÓƵ Foundation continues to work with corporations and individual donors like Eastman to raise funds to equip the facility with the advanced technology apparatus needed to train students for these highly skilled positions.

"The Foundation continues to attract unprecedented support for its mission," says Michael Hageloh, Interim Vice President for Advancement. "As we work with donors to advance critical projects like this one, we also reaffirm our goal to meet 100 percent of qualified need for all students seeking life-changing educational opportunities at PÕ¾ÊÓƵ."

Construction of the 60,000 square-foot state-of-the-art Eastman Advanced Workforce Complex is underway. It is supported by Florida Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds obtained with the assistance of the Treasure Coast Legislative Delegation (more than $21 million from 2016 through 2021) and $2 million secured through a federal Economic Development Administration grant.

For more information about the Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex or to donate to the project, contact Julia Keenan, Director of Development for the PÕ¾ÊÓƵ Foundation, at 772-462-7244.