Clark College has received a multi-million dollar donation to help transform the school’s culinary program, which has been on hold since 2013.
During a celebration for donors on Wednesday evening at Vancouver’s Royal Oaks Country Club, Clark College President Robert Knight announced that the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Family Foundation has gifted $4 million to the program.
The donation will not only change the face of the college’s culinary building, Knight said, but will dramatically enhance the student learning experience.
The college plans to remodel its dining and culinary teaching facility, which will be known as the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute at Clark College. The facility will showcase Clark’s Cuisine and Professional Baking and Pastry Arts programs.
The building’s redesign will include a glass façade, outdoor dining space, contemporary restaurant, ethnic food choices and an open food court layout. A revamped academic curriculum will align with industry standards to allow for the college to be accredited by the American Culinary Federation.
“This gift will positively affect every student at Clark College whether they just stop by the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute for a healthy option on the way to class or graduate from the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute ready to go to work for one of the many great culinary options in the region,” Knight said in a press release.
Tod McClaskey was one of the founders of the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay, and the McClaskey family expressed excitement about being an integral part of the college’s future.
“Clark’s new culinary program fits our family’s ideals for excellent food preparation and management, as well as collaborating with other state educational organizations,” said Jillian Hagstrom, granddaughter of Tod and Maxine McClaskey. “We are thrilled to be a part of this innovative project.”
Lisa Gibert, president and CEO of Clark College Foundation, commented on how naming the institute after the McClaskeys is a perfect way to honor their memory.
“Tod believed in first-class service and an excellent dining experience,” she said. “The Red Lion was also the launching pad for hundreds of careers in the hospitality business for this region and beyond. That light of excellence for the McClaskeys will now shine for generations.”
Facility renovations are expected to last for several months, with portions of the building opening in spring 2017.
In total, the culinary project is expected to cost $10.5 million. The Clark College Foundation, a nonprofit organization that serves as the fundraising partner of the school in support of student learning, is accepting donations. For more information, contact Joel B. Munson, vice president of development at 360.992.2428.
