PBS&J Presents Donation to Washington County Take Stock in Children® Program

Chipley, FL – PBS&J, with funding through The PBSJ Foundation, Inc., presented a $5,000 donation to the North Central Panhandle Education Foundation, Inc., to provide funds for the Washington County Take Stock in Children® program. PBS&J’s Bill Howell, Tommy Johns, and Tim Smith presented the check to Don Walters, president of the North Central Panhandle Education Foundation, Inc., on July 2, 2008, at a ceremony held at PBS&J’s Chipley office.

Take Stock in Children is a comprehensive statewide program that helps low-income children succeed by providing scholarships, mentors, and most importantly, hope. The children are selected for the program in grade 9 and must sign a performance contract agreeing to maintain good grades, exhibit positive behaviors, and remain drug and crime free. A community mentor meets with the student at their school on a weekly basis. High standards, parental involvement, and community support are crucial to the program’s success.

This $5,000 donation from PBS&J will be matched by the Orange Hill Soil and Water Conservation District and then matched again by the State of Florida for a total investment of $20,000 for local students. These funds will provide four-year tuition scholarships for two students in the Florida Panhandle.

PBS&J’s involvement with Take Stock in Children goes beyond this donation. Bill Howell, a project manager in PBS&J’s Chipley office, serves on the board of directors and advisory committee of the North Central Panhandle Education Foundation, Inc., which operates the Take Stock in Children program in Washington County. Also, he, Tommy Johns, and Tim Smith from the Chipley office serve as mentors.

“PBS&J is excited to invest in these deserving students and be able to provide this opportunity,” said Howell. “Take Stock in Children has a proven track record of setting high standards toward education. We are confident that our donation, along with our time spent with the students, will help shape their future.”

PBS&J (www.pbsj.com) is an employee-owned firm that provides infrastructure planning, engineering, construction management, architecture, and program management services to public and private clients. The firm is ranked by Engineering News-Record as 29th among the nation’s top consulting firms. PBS&J has over 3,900 employees and 80 offices nationwide and 225 employees in our four offices in northwest Florida.