Southland Park Pledging $1 Million in Support of MSCC Hospitality Program

Southland Park Gaming and Racing, which has teamed up with Mid-South Community College on many occasions to expand higher learning opportunities in the region, has stepped to the forefront once again. Southland plans to invest $1 million in the next 10 years to support a hospitality/food service training program at the college that will provide a myriad of benefits for Eastern Arkansas.

“For some time now, we have been trying to figure out a way to develop a hospitality program that would enhance existing and entrepreneurial ventures to catalyze local economic development,” said Dr. Glen Fenter, MSCC President. “In keeping with their long-standing tradition of corporate citizenship, the folks at Southland have agreed to partner with us one more time to help galvanize what we think will be an exciting and overwhelmingly positive initiative for our region.”

“Southland and its parent company Delaware North have continually demonstrated amazing support of Mid-South Community College and Crittenden County.

They have always been willing and proactive participants in helping to move our region forward, and we appreciate their vision for the future.”

Troy L. Keeping, Southland Park Regional General Manager, President, and General Manager, said the latest pledge will help his company as well as others in the area.

“As our business grows and evolves, our need for trained employees continues to increase,” Keeping said. “We are excited to partner with Mid-South Community College to create a program that will provide a deep pool of qualified hospitality workers who will strengthen the tourism and entertainment efforts of Crittenden County. We believe this partnership has great potential for our region and are honored to have the opportunity to continue our long-standing collaboration with Mid-South Community College.”

With funding from Southland, MSCC will continue and expand its participation in the “Delta Cuisine: A Southern Kitchen Incubator” project which is expected to open for business in spring 2013.

“The funding from Southland creates a golden opportunity for us to take this incubator collaboration to the next level and will allow us to bring additional expertise to the hospitality, entrepreneurship, and curricular equation,” Dr. Fenter said.

The $1.8 million Delta Cuisine project is the result of the combined efforts of the Arkansas Delta Rural Heritage Development Initiative, the City of West Memphis, the Delta Regional Authority, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, State Representative Keith Ingram, and MSCC.

“This project is a great example of a public-private partnership to meet a growing need for a trained workforce in the ever expanding hospitality industry in our area,” Rep. Ingram said. “I was honored to play a small role in securing funding for such an exciting project."

Delta Cuisine will provide technical assistance to food entrepreneurs and access to facility and equipment resources for small business creation/expansion, building upon the region’s rich culinary heritage and agricultural traditions. The project is rooted in skill development and training to develop a specialized workforce based in Crittenden County.

The incubator’s early proponents include Beth Wiedower, director of the Arkansas Delta Rural Heritage Development Initiative, and Main Street West Memphis Director Leigh Ann Hastings.

The College, in concert with Delaware North and Southland, is developing academic/training curriculum to complement the Delta Cuisine project and meet Southland’s need for skilled employees. Initially, MSCC plans to offer a Certificate of Proficiency in Food Science, Product Development, and Expansion, and will work toward establishing an Associate Degree in Hospitality Management.

The training will allow both new and experienced food entrepreneurs access to the theoretical and technical knowledge needed to sustain or incubate successful culinary businesses in the region. This type of sector-specific workforce training creates additional jobs and increases income.

Provided the Arkansas gaming industry faces no new competitive challenges, Southland Park is willing to pledge $100,000 a year over the next decade to support the local efforts. The only stumbling block to the arrangement would be passage of a proposed change to the state’s constitution that would allow casino gaming in Crittenden, Pulaski, Miller, and Franklin counties. Voter approval is unlikely as many leaders in the state have already labeled it a “must-fail” initiative.

With Southland’s latest commitment to the College, its overall gifts and pledges exceed $2.4 million. This is the second million-dollar pledge to MSCC since 2001. In recognition of the first seven-figure contribution, the College named one of its classroom buildings the “Southland Greyhound Science Center.”

Southland has also provided significant funding for endowed scholarships as well as a $250,000 commitment to Greyhound athletic efforts at the College. The gaming establishment has also made a substantial contribution to MSCC’s Emergency Medical Technician program.

Southland’s parent company, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, is part of Delaware North Companies, a global leader in hospitality and food service. It is one of the largest privately-held companies in North America with more than $2 billion in revenue and 55,000 employees in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

William J. Bissett, serves as president of Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment and oversees the company’s eight successful gaming and racing operations in Delaware, Arkansas, New York, Arizona, Florida, West Virginia, Illinois, and Oklahoma.

To find out more about education and training opportunities available at MSCC, visit the campus at 2000 West Broadway in West Memphis, call (870) 733-6728, email admissions@midsouthcc.edu, or access the college’s website at www.midsouthcc.edu.