The president of one of Ashtabula County’s fastest growing manufacturing companies will invest in the growth at Kent State University Ashtabula.
Ronald Clutter, president of Nordic Air Inc., his wife Tracy and their family have made a what is being described as a substantial personal contribution to the construction of the new Health and Science Building on the Campus.
Clutter said he is making the gift out of respect for his wife Tracy, who is a graduate of Kent State University.
“Both Tracy and I firmly believe that our schooling, our family, friends, fellow employees and mentors, our community, our surroundings have played an integral part in forming our lives,” Clutter said. “Thus it is easy to do as best we can to follow Winston Churchill’s words, ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,’” he said.
“Ron is a very generous individual and I have been very impressed by his passion for his family and the community,” Ashtabula Campus Dean Susan Stocker said. “He is a visionary who appreciates the value of education and is one of the new generation of philanthropists and is creating a tremendous and lasting legacy,” she said.
Clutter’s gift will help fund the radiological technology area in the new building.
The Health and Science Building will feature state-of-the-art laboratories and technologically advanced classrooms, plus an auditorium-style lecture hall. Though it will be used mainly by the nursing and allied health programs, new academic requirements make it necessary for all bachelor degree-seeking students to take at least one lab science. This will increase the need for more laboratory space. It will also be available for the continuing education of Emergency Medical Technicians, CPR classes and training for local hospital and fire department employees.
Stocker hopes the Clutter gift will encourage others to come forward in a leadership capacity.
“While we are very excited that construction is progressing on the building. We want potential donors to understand that we still need them to come forward and support the “Next Step” campaign,” she said. She said there are still a number of opportunities to name spaces — class rooms, laboratories and office spaces — in the building.
