Southwestern Adventist University held a groundbreaking ceremony today at noon on the site of a future $15,000,000, state-of-the-art training facility for nursing students.
Larry Moore and Ken Shaw, flanked by assorted Trustees and dignitaries
Present at the groundbreaking were SWAU president Ken Shaw, Southwestern Union president Larry Moore, who is also chairman of SWAU's Board of Trustees, City of Keene mayor James Chapline, and Sallieann Hoffer, chair of the nursing department, all of whom delivered celebratory remarks. Pastor Russ Laughlin, SWAU's Vice-President for Spiritual Development, offered the Prayer of Dedication.
Left to right: Southwestern Union president, Elder Larry Moore, Keene Mayor James Chapline, and SWAU President Ken Shaw
The building was designed by Beck Architecture, LLC, part of the Beck Group of architects and builders, which is based in Texas and has offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Atlanta, Denver, Tampa, and Mexico City. Beck also designed the new tower at Texas Health Huguley, formerly Huguley Hospital, in Burleson, Texas, a hospital with ties to the SDA Church. The Nursing building will be built by Steele & Freeman, Inc., builders based in Fort Worth, Texas.
Because of President Ken Shaw's exceptionally energetic fund-raising efforts, the $15,000,000 structure will be paid for by the time it is finished. Over $11,000,000 has already been raised or pledged to the project. It is a tremendous achievement to build this state-of-the-art facility without needing to mire the university in debt, especially in bond debt, which literally mortgages the buildings and figuratively mortgages the future of the school, and can raise issues of church-state separation and religious liberty.
Holding shovels are: unknown, Larry Moore, Sallieann Hoffer, and Ken Shaw, flanked by the nursing students and nursing faculty of SWAU