Lehigh Carbon Community College unveiled two key additions to the college and the community with the announcement of a $1.575 million endowment for technology scholarships from donors Lisa Scheller and Wayne Woodman, and the naming of the Lisa Scheller-Wayne Woodman Community Services Center.

The endowment gift will provide technology scholarships to students of Lehigh Career & Technical Institute and Carbon Career & Technical Institute entering any of the more than 40 technology fields at LCCC that can also matriculate to the bachelor of applied science in technical leadership, a joint program of LCCC and Bloomsburg University.Keynote speaker and U.S. Sen. Patrick Toomey said, "We're going to continue to create great jobs, great opportunities, great prospects for growth."He explained how the endowment for technology scholarships will go directly to providing people with training during what he called a manufacturing renaissance across Pennsylvania, and how it will "create an opportunity, for especially young men and women, to develop the training, the knowledge, the skills that will allow them to walk into and become really productive participants in this terrific economic revolution that's happening across the commonwealth."Ellen Kern, chief of staff for state Sen. Pat Browne and the chair of the LCCC Foundation Board of Directors, presented citations and gifts to the Scheller family, and state Sen. David Argall read from a Senate citation.U.S. Congressman Charlie Dent also addressed the attendees, noting the importance of the scholarship and its impact on the Lehigh Valley.He said during the worst moments of the recession in 2008 and 2009, the National Association of Manufacturers presented a study citing over 600,000 jobs in the manufacturing and industrial sector that were unfilled because of a lack of people with the skills available to fill those jobs.LCCC recently conducted an Economic Impact Study, funded by the LCCC Foundation, which indicated students with an LCCC associate degree will earn approximately $500,000 more in their careers than a high school graduate. The study also indicated 95 percent to 99 percent of LCCC students typically stay within Pennsylvania.LCCC president, Dr. Ann D. Bieber said the economic impact the endowment will have on the community will be a lasting one felt throughout the entire region and the state for years to come."The generosity of Lisa Scheller and Wayne Woodman will greatly affect the students of the Carbon Career & Technical Institute, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute and Lehigh Carbon Community College," she said."On behalf of Lehigh Carbon Community College, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the both of you for this investment in today's and tomorrow's students from LCTI and CCTI as they enter the technology studies at LCCC."About the donorsLisa Scheller is CEO of Silberline Manufacturing, an international corporation.She serves as chair of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners, serves on the board of directors of the Aluminum Association, and has previously held board positions in various trade organizations, and the Manufacturers Resource Center of the Lehigh Valley.She is also a past member of the Board of Trustees of Cedar Crest College. In addition, Scheller participates in the Women Entrepreneurs Group and the World Presidents Organization.Wayne Woodman serves as the senior vice president of The Investment Group of Los Angeles and is the immediate past chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Party.