As he handed over a check for $10,000 from the West Virginia Independent Oil and Gas Association to West Virginia Wesleyan College president Dr. Pamela Balch, Dennis Xander said the donation is not only a way to pay back the college for providing him and others in the industry with an education, but also an investment in the industry's future.
Members of the IOGA were on the Buckhannon campus Thursday to donate the money raised from the annual summer show staged by their group at Wesleyan.
The money will be used to purchase equipment for the David E. Reemsnyder Research Center, which is connected to the Christopher Hall of Science and serves the biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, math, physics, engineering and psychology programs at the college.
"The oil and gas industry has a number of members who were educated at West Virginia Wesleyan College," said Xander, a member of Wesleyan's 1975 graduating class.
"We need quality, educated people in our industry, and this is an investment in our future."
This marks the third such donation from the IOGA to West Virginia Wesleyan College, which will again host the organization's equipment show in July.
"We are really excited to have this wonderful, generous check," Balch said. "They have been very generous, and every year, we put this money to good use.
"The generosity of organizations like this is absolutely critical. It helps us move forward from good to great."
Contact John Wickline at jwickline@theintermountain.com
