The board’s special meeting preceded a press conference at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport to announce a gift of $850,000 from Dick Levi of Levi, Ray and Shoup Inc. to the LLCC Foundation to allow for construction of a new classroom facility adjacent to the currentLLCC aviation center at the airport.
At the special board meeting, LLCC Chair Craig Findley noted the many years of work by former chair and long-time LLCC trustee Kent Gray in envisioning and planning for the expansion.
Mr. Gray joined the board in thanking Mr. Levi and Levi, Ray and Shoup for the generous and community-minded donation. “This gift will fulfill our long-held dream to improve our training facilities in the growing field of aviation mechanics. We will potentially be able to double the number of students we serve who can train for secure careers in the aviation maintenance field. We will have more room for classrooms, currently housed in modular structures, and outstanding spaces for hands-on technical training.”
The Springfield Airport Authoritywill own and oversee construction of the new facility, which is scheduled to begin this spring and open next fall.