Bill and Betty Perkis Forestry Endowment Fund established at Gogebic Community College

Gogebic Community College has a new endowed fund, the Bill and Betty Perkis Forestry Endowment Fund, that will support students who are enrolled in the college’s Forestry Technology Program. Bill Perkis founded the Forestry Technology program during his time as a faculty member at Gogebic Community College.

According to an article on Gogebic Community College’s website, Chris Patritto, the college’s president, was quoted as saying of the new endowment, “Bill’s vision and dedication have shaped the Forestry Technology Program into a cornerstone of GCC. This endowment ensures that his legacy will continue to enrich the lives of students for generations to come.”

Bill and his wife Betty have spent their life involved in science, and in particular, soil. Bill graduated from Michigan Tech, after having met Betty at the school’s Soil Lab. Betty graduated from the Michigan Tech Forestry program and went on to become a teacher and a school principal. Bill became a Soil Survey Project Leader with the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA before becoming an adjunct instructor at Gogebic Community College. He eventually became a full time faculty member and founded the college’s Forestry Technology program. He has since retired from teaching full time but remains as an adjunct instructor at the college.

The Bill and Betty Perkis Forestry Endowment Fund will provide financial assistance to students in the Forestry Technology program. The financial help will give students the opportunity to participate in essential programs, workshops, and trips that will supplement their education in the academic program, making it possible for students to participate in the log jamboree, attend the Society of American Foresters (SAF) workshop, and access specialized training.

Speaking of the reason they decided to establish the endowment, the couple said, “Both of us feel that the education and the experience of college is what has made us who we are today. It facilitated our accomplishments. We want to support students and future forestry professionals.”

For more information about Gogebic Community College, visit the school’s website.