Community comes together after disaster

On behalf of the South Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, I am writing to express our deepest gratitude and thanks to so many across southern Arkansas related to the recent fire at the college’s historic Administration

Building. This disaster has revealed with unmistakable clarity both the character and the compassion of the citizens of our area.

Known on the National

Register of Historic

Places as the 1905

Junior College Building, the structure has been an enduring educational icon for countless students in its 113-year history. Since the April 13 fire, we have heard many times about the importance of this local structure, and the place that it occupies in the hearts and memories of those in the community.

Through the tireless efforts of our local firefighters — not to mention phenomenal engineering of architects and builders more than a century ago — the structure was not a total loss. All initial signs show that this facility can be restored to its former glory and even better. That is our goal and our aim.

Our thanks go out first of all to the brave men and women of the El Dorado Fire Department and Lawson Volunteer Fire Department, who worked to exhaustion in order to battle this fire; and to the El Dorado Police Department, which initially reported it.

We also want to recognize our amazing team at SouthArk. From only minutes after the fire was reported to the fire department, our employees responded. Many of our employees have put in untold extra hours and taken on additional responsibilities in order to get us through this trying time. Those who were displaced by the building fire have continued to work their hardest — and harder — despite dealing with the unforeseen challenges of being in unfamiliar offices and lacking many of their usual resources. They are resilient and courageous. We are so proud of our SouthArk family.

Concerned citizens across our community, and even across the state, have offered thoughtful words and assistance of all kinds. We are so thankful for donations of food and beverages from multiple local benefactors, and offers of equipment and space from local businesses. Our own SouthArk Foundation provided meals and stands ready to assist in the recovery process, as needed. We also were provided a generous monetary donation from our friends at the Southern Arkansas University Foundation, which will aid us in our business continuity. We have had kind expressions and offers of support from many, many elected officials, both local and state, up to and including Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

We are so grateful, because despite the difficulties that we are facing, no lives were lost, there were no injuries, no classes were impacted and the damage was limited to one facility — the contents of which can be replaced, and the structure of which we intend to rebuild. The functions of the college continue.

And so, with your continued encouragement and support, we will press on with the important duties of operating the college and educating students for the future workforce, in order to fulfill our mission.

Again, a deeply heartfelt thank you to all.

Dr. Barbara Jones is president of South Arkansas Community College.