Terry, Marion Forcht thanked for building donation for new college

Forcht Group of Kentucky Founder, Chairman and CEO Terry Forcht and his wife, Marion Forcht, were recognized recently for helping make the new Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College campus in Barbourville a reality.

Local, state and federal officials helped cut the ribbon during an Oct. 12 ceremony celebrating the opening of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College’s new campus in Barbourville. The campus was made possible after Forcht Group of Kentucky donated the old Barbourville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to KCEOC. During the ceremony, officials presented a plaque of appreciation to Terry and Marion Forcht, which was accepted by Forcht Bank Market President for Corbin and Barbourville Corey Chesnut. Below, Chesnut presents the plaque to Terry Forcht during a private ceremony later that day.

The new Barbourville campus is housed in the former Barbourville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. This is a $2.5 million facility formerly owned by the Forcht Group, which was donated to KCEOC Community Action Partnership.

During grand opening festivities for the new campus on Wednesday, Oct. 12, Corey Chesnut, who is Forcht Bank Market President for Barbourville and Corbin, accepted the award on behalf of the Terry and Marion Forcht, and presented it later that afternoon to Terry E. Forcht during a private ceremony.

“This building was generously donated to KCEOC Community Action Partnership Inc. by Mr. and Mrs. Terry Forcht … Dedicated to recognizing human potential, improving communities and creating opportunities for change,” the plaque reads.

Forcht Group of Kentucky is comprised of 94 separate companies and over 2,100 employees. All with one vision – to be the best. This guiding philosophy is also the vision of one man, Terry E. Forcht. The mission of the Forcht Group of Kentucky is to improve the quality of life of its customers,  employees, and communities, according to the company’s website.

The new Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College campus in Barbourville opened for classes on Monday, Oct. 10, with face-to face, hybrid, and online classes available. Classes include: medical assisting, nursing assistant, welding, plumbing, education, and criminal justice, as well as a selection of general education courses.

“CEO Paul Dole and Becky Miller, who coordinates the WIOA programs, invited me to come look at the building and see whether we could use it,” said Southeast President Vic Adams. “I immediately knew that we had a great opportunity before us.”

The building has been renovated using approximately $6.5 million in grant funding. During the Gov. Matt Bevin administration, the college secured $1.8 million from the Work Ready Skills Initiative. In addition, KCEOC and Southeast co-wrote grants from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for $3 million and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for $1.5 million, totaling $4.5 million.

To purchase equipment, Southeast obtained an additional $2.25 million through ARC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). KCEOC earmarked $400,000 from the state budget for overages and more equipment.

“We have been able to renovate and equip this building with $8-9 million without using any KCTCS or state-supported dollars,” said Adams. “We also have grants that will fund personnel and equipment maintenance for a three-year period.”