Bossier Parish Community College has been named the 2019 Business of the Year by the Bossier Chamber of Commerce. Proudly accepting the award on BPCC’s behalf during Tuesday night’s gala was Chancellor Dr. Rick Bateman, Jr.
“Community is not just in our name…it’s the heartbeat of our mission,” Bateman said. “Our goal is to be innovative, to be accessible, and to provide caring learning environments that advance educational goals, cultivate community partnerships, and strengthen the regional economy. We are very honored to receive this award and will proudly continue serving our community.”
The Bossier Chamber of Commerce looks at a variety of factors when considering the nominees. This award recognizes BPCC for its growing return on investment in the community, building our region’s workforce, partnering with industry and leading cyber education in the state.
Bossier Parish Community College continues to expand its reach within Northwest Louisiana through enhanced programming, partnerships and students served. In 2019 alone, the two-year institution served more than 9,200 credit students, training a skilled workforce that will generate earnings, taxes and investments in the ten parishes of Northwest Louisiana.
BPCC has a $341M total annual economic impact on the region with self-generated revenue making up the majority of the operating budget and approximately 30 percent from state appropriations, equating to a return of $9 for every $1 invested by Louisiana taxpayers. This impact is due in large part to streamlining operations, curtailing costs, identifying efficiencies, and embracing entrepreneurial activity aimed at operating the College more like a traditional business.
BPCC has been designated as a military-friendly school for eight consecutive years and is the only Louisiana institution earning a GOLD distinction in 2019. Additionally, BPCC was designated as a Military Friendly Spouse School. BPCC currently reports a list of 421 active partnerships between the College and the community in 2019 surpassing a goal to quadruple partnerships with business and industry as a part of their system LCTCS Our Louisiana 2020 goals. The Louisiana Board of Regents named BPCC the Center for Workforce Excellence in Cyber Security and in May 2019, Governor John Bel Edwards designated BPCC as the home of the Louisiana Cyber Education Center.
For more information on Bossier Parish Community College, visit www.bpcc.edu.