Garden City Community College Announces Naming Rights Partnership with Finnup Foundation
Garden City Community College (GCCC) is proud to announce a naming rights partnership with the Finnup Foundation for the construction shop within GCCC’s Security State Bank Construction Trades Center. The space will be named the Finnup Foundation Construction Trades Shop.
The partnership builds on the Finnup Foundation’s longstanding support of GCCC and its students. In 2024, the Finnup Foundation provided a $300,000 matching grant to kickstart GCCC’s fundraising initiative for the Construction Trades Center.
“We are grateful to the Finnup Foundation for partnering with us and helping ignite our vision for the Construction Trades Center,” said Dr. Ryan Ruda, GCCC President. “Their support helped demonstrate the greater impact of each donation and build momentum for this project. This is a true example of what partnership can accomplish, and we are proud to recognize that partnership through the Finnup Foundation Construction Trades Shop.”
The Finnup Foundation has supported GCCC through previous campus projects, including naming rights sponsorships for the Finnup Computer Lab and the Finnup Piano Lab on campus. The naming of the Finnup Foundation Construction Trades Shop continues the foundation’s tradition of investing in GCCC students and the future of Southwest Kansas.
“We are pleased to be a part of expanding educational opportunities that will benefit our community and beyond. Education was very important to the Finnup Family, as is evidenced by many gifts supporting students and programs over the years,” said Amy Heinemann, Executive Director of the Finnup Foundation Trust. “This investment is just another opportunity to extend the Finnup family’s legacy of generosity in creating new pathways towards educational and business success. We are thankful for the good partnership with GCCC and for all the work that went into bringing this project to fruition.”
Currently under construction, the Security State Bank Construction Trades Center is scheduled for completion in December 2026. The nearly 11,000-square-foot facility will expand GCCC’s workforce training capabilities and help address the growing demand for skilled trades professionals in Southwest Kansas.
Located on the GCCC campus across Campus Drive, the center will house training in electrical technology and construction trades. The facility will provide students with hands-on, industry-relevant education designed to prepare them for high-demand careers while helping meet the workforce needs of the region.
The partnership between GCCC and the Finnup Foundation will leave a lasting impact on students, the skilled trades workforce, and the future of Southwest Kansas.
About the Finnup Foundation
The Finnup Foundation Trust was established in 1977 by siblings Frederick Finnup and Isabel Finnup, continuing a legacy of generosity established by their father, George Finnup, and grandfather, Frederick Finnup. The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations designated as 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations by the Internal Revenue Service. Trustees consider grant requests with the history and purposes of the foundation in mind, with funds distributed annually in the spring. Since its establishment, the Finnup Foundation Trust has distributed approximately $42 million to nonprofit organizations and community initiatives.
--
Garden City Community College exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.