Here’s how the Port Arthur Education Foundation is helping tomorrow’s leaders
Published 12:16 am Thursday, March 23, 2023
- Bill McCoy, former president of the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce that was involved in the 2015 restructuring of the Port Arthur Education Foundation, visited the Foundation meeting Wednesday. (Mary Meaux/The News)
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The Port Arthur Education Foundation has done well with its mission to enhance academic excellence in Port Arthur.
From 2015 to 2023, the foundation has given $3.7 million in grants and scholarships and now the group is preparing for its annual Pathway to Success Luncheon scheduled for April 13.
There will be featured speakers, and students are paired at tables with professionals in the field in which they are interested. In addition, scholarships are awarded.
The Foundation
The foundation has evolved through the years through restructuring, of which Bill McCoy, former president of the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce, had a hand in.
McCoy doesn’t take any credit for the changes that began in 2015 with the dissolution of the previous organization. He realized the entity needed industry as partners on the board, because these representatives had the financial backing and ability to fundraise in order to provide scholarships to Port Arthur students.
As chamber president, McCoy understood the importance of education because without education you cannot get industrial development, he said.
Joe Tant with the Port Arthur Education Foundation leads Wednesday’s meeting. (Mary Meaux/The News)
Fundraiser
A new fundraiser is in the works for the education foundation — a murder mystery dinner.
This will mark the second big fundraiser of the year for the foundation. If successful, it will be an annual event.
The event will be kid friendly and feature performers, a diner and a who-done-it.
Joe Tant, executive director of the Port Arthur Education Foundation, said the event is tentatively set for Nov. 2. More details will be released at a later date.
Other events
There are several other events the foundation and chamber will take part in.
The Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce will be cleaning up Procter Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 21 to kick off the city’s Earth Day celebration.
A Spring Job Fair is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 11 at the Bob Bowers Civic Center.
The job fair is sponsored by Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas, Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce, Lamar State College Port Arthur, Valero Port Arthur Refinery and Whataburger in partnership with the Port Arthur Education Foundation and the Workforce Development Committee.
