Jacobsen family donates $1 million to Okanagan College

By College Relations | September 7, 2018
           

It’s the largest gift ever to support Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus, and it will accelerate a centre of excellence in automotive training and open doors for students for years to come.

Muriel Jacobsen and her children Rhonda and Shayne are donating $1 million to support the Kelowna Trades Training Complex in honour of their late husband and father Ron Jacobsen. Ron owned and operated Jacobsen Pontiac Buick for more than 40 years.

“My dad always wanted to give back to the community that supported him,” says Rhonda Jacobsen-Lebedoff. “As someone who loved and valued the importance of learning and improving, he would be delighted to know his success is supporting future automotive leaders.”

The funding announcement was made in the courtyard of the new Trades building. In honour of the generous donation, Okanagan College is naming the bright study, gathering and corridor space used by so many students as the Ron Jacobsen Pathway to Excellence.

“This gift gets to the heart of what we set out to do in revitalizing and expanding our trades training facilities at the Kelowna campus – providing our students with a world-class learning environment, helping to address the skills gap and needs of employers, and elevating the skilled trades as a career path, something Ron championed through his leadership and commitment to excellence,” said Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton.

“On behalf of everyone at Okanagan College, I’d like to express our gratitude to the Jacobsen family for this remarkable support, which will help us continue to create access and advance training for the next generation of automotive trades people. There will be generations of students who walk along the corridor and appreciate the legacy of Ron, and – like him – will tread the pathway to excellence.”

The Jacobsen family hopes Ron’s legacy will live on with the funds contributing to the following key areas:

• Development of curriculum and purchase of start-up equipment for the College’s forthcoming automotive service technician diploma
• Development of training in alternate fuels and purchase of start-up equipment
• Purchase of state-of-the-art training equipment
• Refreshing the automotive facilities to more closely resemble the appearance of newer dealerships and service outlets
• Financial support for students

Steve Moores, the College’s Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship, says the funds will help the College invest in equipment, education and infrastructure to ensure students are prepared to work on the hybrid and electric vehicles of today and tomorrow.

“We know from speaking with employers that as new technology emerges and becomes more mainstream, the sector will require technicians who are adept with hybrid and electric engines, alternative fuels and so on. This gift will help us to put in place the training, equipment and shop facilities to stay ahead of the curve,” says Moores.

Mark Bannister of Bannister Automotive Group says the announcement is amazing news for the College and the automotive industry.

“One of our biggest struggles is finding technicians, so to have this major investment in state-of-the-art training and student support is incredible for students and our local automotive sector,” says Bannister.

The gift announcement marks the close of the Okanagan College Foundation’s fundraising campaign for the Kelowna Trades Training Complex —a $33-million project that started in 2014.

The province invested $28-million into the project and the Okanagan College Foundation set its most ambitious fundraising goal to date: raise $7 million to complete the trades facility and provide life-changing program and student support. The campaign goal was not only met but exceeded by $1.5 million.

“Ron was a generous community builder, so it feels apt to have him close our campaign, which brought together industry leaders in the automotive, welding, construction, plumbing, mechanical and electrical sectors,” says Kathy Butler, Okanagan College Foundation Executive Director.

“We are very grateful to the Jacobsen family and thank everyone who supported us in reaching this inspiring milestone.”

About Ron Jacobsen
Ron was born in Red Deer, Alta, and was an identical twin and youngest of nine children who grew up working on the family farm.

His first job was at a sawmill while taking a correspondence course in accounting. Ron went on to become the accountant at Hub City Motors, a Volkswagen dealership in Prince George. He would later buy into the dealership.

In 1971, Ron sold his half of Hub City Motors and moved to Kelowna where he started Jacobsen Pontiac Buick. The company grew to more than 75 employees with a focus on hiring the right people, investing in modern equipment and creating a learning environment.

The auto dealership and body shop also adopted the trademark “Jacobsen Excellence.” Ron always encouraged employees to think about whether their actions were good enough or excellent and to aim for the latter.

While committed to his business, Ron was also passionate about his family, enjoying camping, boating and playing cards. He gave back to the community, volunteering with the Kelowna Rotary Club, and sponsoring sports teams, golf tournaments, and the Apple Triathlon.

The latest gift from the Jacobsen family builds on past contributions to Okanagan College from Ron. In 2009, Ron set up the Jacobsen Pontiac Lou Simonelli Achievement Award to recognize one of his longest serving automotive technicians. Ron and Muriel also previously donated to the Kelowna Trades Training Complex.

View the photo gallery from the announcement here. View recorded livestream on the College’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/okanagancollege.ca.

 

 




TOP STORIES

RELATED STORIES

Sign up for weekly stories




Trending

Communications student standing outside the Centre for Learning building at the Kelowna campus
Meet Ruth Gabriela Melo Flores

April 4, 2023

Q: What's your name? A: Ruth Gabriela Melo Flores Q: What's your hometown? A: Quito – Ecuador – South America Q: How did you end up at Okanagan College? A: Well, I studied for a bachelor's degree in Law in Ecuador. Then, I worked for a while and got my Master's degree in Government and Culture of Organizations at the University of Pamplona.  When I returned to my country, professional opportunities arose for me. I mean, a Master's degree improved my career. Spain helped ...

Read more...
Animation student
Artistic students design future careers in animation

June 7, 2022

Grads of Okanagan College’s Animation Diploma program are finding their skills have never been in higher demand. First- and second-year students showed samples of their artwork and demo reels to industry partners at OC’s annual Animation Industry Night on May 17. “Lots of the work was very professional,” says James Wood, Chair of Okanagan College’s Animation Department. “Our program is short, but intense. The instructors make sure the students have a realistic understanding of what they need do to succeed in a competitive and demanding...

Read more...
JAMK campus
OC Business students embrace international study again

May 30, 2022

Business students from Okanagan College are once again able to travel to Jyväskylä, Finland to experience an international summer school at the JAMK University of Applied Sciences.  Finland’s education system is widely regarded as one of the best in the world.  OC Business Professor Blair Baldwin, who has taught Services Design at JAMK for several summers, says working in Finland has helped him innovate and create new teaching methodologies. “JAMK employs experiential learning across its curriculum,” he says. “They stress cri...

Read more...
Enactus 2022
Enactus Okanagan College tops the field, sets sights on national championships

May 27, 2022

Okanagan College students will once again be competing for the Canadian title after qualifying for the Enactus National Exposition with a first-place finish in their league during the semi-final round. Enactus teams at post-secondary institutions across Canada competed virtually earlier this month, and Okanagan College scooped up top position in the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge, and runner-up in the Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge for the Unusually Good Food Co. project. It also included national runner-up in Shaw and RBC accelerator...

Read more...