College Thanks Goess While Dedicating New Student Center

WINTERVILLE�It doesn�t take long to realize Craig F. Goess is not completely comfortable with touting his personal successes or charitable activities in public.

But during a ceremony at Pitt Community College this week, the New Jersey native�s philanthropy was in plain view as the school dedicated a new student center that bears the Greenville businessman�s name.

Goess, who moved to North Carolina in 1991, attended the dedication with his family, which he says is the source of much of his life�s success. Among the family members there to support him were his parents, his wife Cathie and their son Craig Jr., a PCC graduate and PCC Foundation Board member.

When it came time to address those who had come out to say thank you for the role he played in the student center�s construction, Goess�s remarks were brief, but sincere and to-the-point.

Noting that he �hates microphones,� Goess leaned into the podium, looked out at his audience and explained why he chose to support PCC�s student center project.

�I did this for Pitt Community College because I felt good about it,� he said, adding that he feels the college does not receive enough recognition for the educational services it provides the community.

With just a few more sentences, Goess left the stage and returned to his seat. Moments later, Goess�s portrait, which will hang in the student center that bears his name, was unveiled.

And then it was Goess�s father, Charles, who addressed the crowd and summed up the significance of the dedication ceremony and his son�s charitable act.

With tears welling in his eyes, Charles Goess, a former teacher and principal, said: �As an educator and a father, this has been the proudest day of my life.�

Monday was also a proud day for PCC students. For nearly 40 years, the college had been dreaming of a student center on campus, a central location where students could enroll, register for classes, hold organizational meetings, grab a bite to eat and simply hang out.

The concept was first proposed by former Pitt President William E. Fulford in 1969 and was included in a facilities master plan for the college a year later.

But it wasn�t until 2007 that construction of the Craig F. Goess Student Center finally got under way. The 33,698-square foot facility took a little more than a year to build at a cost of $6.1 million with funding coming from an educational bond referendum state voters approved in 2000 and a significant donation by Goess.

As Don Parrott explained during Monday�s dedication, Goess�s role in PCC�s student center project was just par for the course. The former Greenville Mayor called Goess �one of the most generous and unassuming men I know� and said his philanthropy is largely done under the radar.

�It�s time that people know some of the things you�ve done for this community,� Parrott added.

After moving to North Carolina, Goess opened Greenville Toyota and has since built it into one of the most profitable stores in the Southeast Toyota Region. He purchased Toyota of New Bern in 2002 and transformed it into a very profitable dealership as well.

During the past decade, Goess and Greenville Toyota have been major supporters of the PCC Foundation, the college�s chief fundraising organization. He has provided scholarships and training opportunities for Automotive Systems Technology students.

When it came to supporting the college�s construction of a new student center, Goess was eager to help because he wanted to do something that would benefit all PCC students.

As Parrott stated, Goess has supported many community projects, including the following:

� Funding for The Greenville Toyota Amphitheater located on the Greenville Town Commons.

� Christmas �Wish List,� which provides more than $5,000 worth of bikes and televisions/radios each year to needy families.

� �Christmas on Patrol,� a partnership with the Greenville Police Department that feeds 200 families each Christmas.

� The Pitt County Boys and Girls Club�s �Kids Under Construction� Capital Endowment Fund.

� Vehicle donations to the Pitt County Sheriff�s Department, Greenville Police Department and American Red Cross.

03/12/2009