Jareds make lead gift to OTC Foundation

The OTC Foundation, the fundraising arm of Ozarks Technical Community College, received a lead gift for an undisclosed amount from Jerry and Linda Jared.

Jerry Jared is president of Jared Enterprises, former owner of Cody's Convenience Stores, and a member of the OTC Foundation board. The Jareds gave the money to support the Center for Workforce Development Initiative, part of the foundation's major gifts capital campaign.

"The Center for Workforce Development plays a vital role in the community, offering both specific training for area businesses and short-term programs to get people ready for the work force quickly," Jerry Jared said in a news release. "I am pleased to have an opportunity to support this important part of OTC."

The OTC Foundation coordinates regional resources for the college and its students. The foundation is in the middle of its first-ever major gifts capital campaign, raising money to go toward scholarships, program development and other college improvements.

"The Jareds' gift demonstrates their support of the work force and the businesses of southwest Missouri, and an understanding of what Ozarks Technical Community College has to offer," OTC President Hal Higdon said in the release. "We are grateful for their generosity and their involvement with this initiative."