PCC Foundation Donor Reception Held on December 2, 2022
The Pueblo Community College Foundation in association with Dr. Patty Erjavec, President of Pueblo Community College hosted its annual Donor Reception on Friday, December 2 from 5 – 8 p.m. at the PCC Fortino Ballroom.
The annual PCC Foundation Donor Reception is a way for the Foundation to highlight those individuals who have shared their treasures with the organization during the past year. 150 donors attended the cocktail reception.
In addition to celebrating all Foundation donors, the event will include the induction of the following individuals into the PCC President’s Circle: Bill & Joanne Caldwell and
Arthur “Art” Gonzales.
The 2022 PCCF Donor Reception was sponsored by
Presenting Sponsors INBank and Pueblo Community College; Friends of the Foundation sponsors Carlos & Olive Baca, the PCC Foundation Board of Directors, SunWest Credit Union; Entertainment Sponsor Credit Union of Colorado and Panther Student Pantry Sponsors Martha Simmons and Glenn Parker.
About the PCC President’s Circle Award
The PCC President’s Circle was established in 1999 as a way in which to publicly recognize those individuals, businesses and organizations for their outstanding commitment to Pueblo Community College and the continuation of higher education in southern Colorado.
Since its inception, 35 individuals, 11 businesses and 8 organizations have been inducted into the PCC President’s Circle. Tonight, we are adding 3 more individuals to this esteemed group.
Each year, these individuals/business/organizations are publicly recognized for their financial or other gifts to the college at this Donor event and awarded the distinguished Crystal Eagle Award.
2022 Pueblo Community College President’s Circle Inductees
Bill & Joanne Caldwell
Billy G. Caldwell (1935 – 2020) was an automotive jobber for 30 years. Owning Big A Auto Parts stores in Tribune, KS, Burlington, CO, and Pueblo, CO.
After selling his business and taking a turn at retirement, he paired down his life to just whole-selling cars and later becoming a starter at Walking Stick Golf Course – for the last 13 years of his life.
Bill began his 30 plus year automotive parts career in Lamar, CO in the 1950’s. I n 1960, he and two partners became Automotive Jobbers for the American Parts Warehouse.
Bill moved to Tribune, KS and established B&L Auto Parts. It was there that he met and married the love of his life Joanne. The two would be happily married for 57 years.
In 1963, the Caldwell’s purchased an interest in Burlington Auto Parts (Burlington, CO). Bill became the managing partner.
Three years later (1966) they would become the sole owners of both the B&L Auto Parts store and Burlington Auto Parts.
In 1968, the Caldwells acquired C&S Auto Parts in Lamar, CO and would maintain ownership of the three stores until 1971 when they came to Pueblo after purchasing Car Parts, Inc. (later named the Parts House) at 704 Grand Avenue.
During their 11 years in Pueblo, the Caldwell’s acquired two satellite parts stores (BJ Automotive at 400 W. 29th and Minnequa Motor Parts (aka Sunset Auto Parts at 1315 Berkeley).
In 1982, the Caldwell’s sold all three Pueblo stores in an attempt for Bill to retire and take some time off to devote to his golf game. Within that year, Bill proclaimed that “retirement was not as much fun as he thought it would be and he became a licensed Automobile Wholesale dealer. He would spend the next several years traveling to automobile auctions between Lubbock and Amarillo to Albuquerque and Denver. After a few years he opted to try a second retirement.
During his retirement he would work for 14 years as a Starter for the City of Pueblo Parks and Recreation Department and at Walking Stick Golf Course. Bill thoroughly enjoyed his time at Walking Stick Golf Course, having the opportunity to meet and greet so many friends and past customers on a daily basis. He worked there until shortly before his passing on January 30, 2020.
Throughout his career, Bill had worked closely with PCC’s predecessor institution Southern Colorado State College and their Automotive Department. Both Bill and Joanne have always felt strongly about establishing an endowed scholarship at the local college to assist students in that area of automotive technology.
In memory of Bill and their years within the automotive industry, Joanne could think of no better place to donate to Pueblo Community College and their Automotive Department.
This past spring, Joanne made a $100,000 endowed scholarship gift to the PCC Foundation that is designed to offer scholarships to students in the PCC Automotive Department. This amazing gift will become a perpetual tribute to the Caldwell’s and will serve to help those students that are interested in advancing their careers in Automotive Technology. With each scholarship awarded, Joanne hopes to have the opportunity to meet her scholarship recipients and encourage each one to “pay it forward” when the opportunity presents itself during their careers.
Artur “Art” Henry Gonzales
Art Gonzales is being recognized a second time for induction into the PCC President’s Circle. The first induction was with his wife in 2001 for a substantial donation that they both made to the College. This year he will be posthumously inducted in recognition of a $2 million endowment award that has been made to PCCF from his personal estate. This gift will be supporting scholarships for Pueblo Central High School students who will be attending PCC.
Arthur Henry Gonzales was born June 15, 1930 and passed away January 30, 2020. He served in the U.S. Navy, became a successful Pueblo businessman and was a great supporter of education.
Art graduated from Central High School in 1948. He attended Midwest Business College and completed a correspondence course in accounting through the International Accountant Society before working at the Pueblo Flour Mill. Following four years in the Navy, Art returned to work at the Flour Mill until it closed in 1956.
After working for plumbing and sheet metal companies, Art partnered with Puebloan Sam Brown in 1966 to open the very successful Mountain States Sheet Metal Company, which worked in commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning. Art retired in 1980, selling his company interest to Brown. From the proceeds of this transaction, Art would spend the remainder of his life investing within his community.
Art credited his success to a strong work ethic that was instilled in him from his father.
Art had two great loves in his life: Baseball and Lorraine. Art met his beloved Lorraine in 1983 on a trip to Spain through the Ports of Call Travel Club in Denver. They married in 1985.
Art became one of Pueblo’s greatest philanthropic donors, lending his support to many organizations within the City and especially to education.
The Gonzales’ have been long-time supporters to CSU-Pueblo. Their first gift to that institution was in 1994 and they made at least one gift every year—a streak of 26 consecutive years. Overall, their financial support impacted student-athlete scholarships, facility upgrades, operating support and special program needs for all varsity sports at CSU Pueblo.
In addition to CSU-Pueblo, Art has financially supported the Pueblo Symphony, the Veronica String Quartet, the YWCA, and Pueblo Community College.
In 2015, Art established a nursing scholarship within the PCC Foundation and has been supporting PCC students for the past 7 years.
Upon his passing, it was announced that Art’s estate designated $2 Million to support the Pueblo Community College Foundation in an effort to offer annual scholarships to graduates from Central High School; to those students who are seeking to pursue degrees in the areas of Vo-Tech studies.
Throughout his lifetime, Art was awarded many honors by organizations within the Pueblo community including the
- 2006 CSU-P President’s Medallion,
- was selected to be a sustaining member of the CSU-P Foundation Board of Directors,
- was a 2010 Inductee into the CSU-P Athletics Hall of Fame,
- was a 2014 inductee into the Pueblo Hall of Fame and
- and received an Honorary Doctoral Degree posthumously awarded from CSU-P.
Presidential Circle Award Recipients
2022
Bill & Joanne Caldwell
Arthur “Art” Gonzales
2020 & 2021
Events Cancelled due to COVID-19
2019
Barbara S. Lynch
Next Era
Xcel Energy & the Xcel Foundation
2018
Legacy Bank
Subaru of America
2017
Rogene Armstrong & Kathy Farley
2016
The Quarterly Forum and William Wilcoxson
2015
Credit Union of Colorado & SunWest Educational Credit Union
2014
Kane Family Foundation and Mary Jane Voelker
2013
Jim Jatras, Margaret Lukas, Kaiser Permanente, and Black Hills Energy
2012
Assistance League of Pueblo and St. Mary Corwin Medical Center
2011
Marvin Knudson and Drs. Linda and Eric Carlson
2010
John and Agnes Maizga and the Daniels Fund
2009
Darryl Biggerstaff (posthumously) and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
2008
Gloria and Walt Schepp and Sharon and Keith Swerdfeger
2007
Frank Petrocco and Sunflower Bank of Canon City
2006
Charles and Earlene Wolfers and Robert E. Trisler
2005
Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation and Parkview Foundation
2004
Joan Occhiato & Joe Holloran
2003
Intel Corporation and E. M. Christmas
2002
Peachy & Gene Wilcoxson and Ruth M. Robinson
2001
Dammann Family and Art & Lorraine Gonzales
2000
The Welte Family and Tom & June Healy
1999
Clem & Marge Hausman, LeVert Hoag, Tony & Barbara Fortino
For more information on the Pueblo Community College Foundation, the PCC President’s Circle or the PCCF Donor Appreciation Reception, contact Martha Simmons at 719.544.0677 or email to Martha.simmons@pueblocc.edu.
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