Former BBCC president's legacy lives on
Past Big Bend Community College president William Bonaudi speaks to family, friends and past colleagues outside the newly named William C. Bonaudi Library Monday evening.
MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College's longest serving president Bill Bonaudi now has his name fixed above the school's library and his accomplishments etched on a nearby bronze plaque.
Both are tributes from the institution he dedicated 17 years of his career to, ensuring that his legacy will be able to be read by BBCC students and faculty as well as community members for years to come.
Bonaudi served as college president from 1995 to 2012.
But, many of Bonaudi's former colleagues and friends say, his legacy isn't just seen on the sign welcoming patrons to the new William C. Bonaudi Library or the paragraph of career highlights on his plaque.
Instead, they say, it's seen all around the college - in buildings, facilities and even programs.
Former BBCC trustee Paul Hirai said it was fitting that they name the library after Bonaudi because of the library's location in the Advanced Technologies Education Center.
"If it were not for your vision of this ATEC building, and your hard work, this building would not be in existence today," he said during a dedication ceremony at Big Bend Monday. "This is the most popular building in Grant County and it's appreciated by the entire community."
Bonaudi led the fundraising effort for the ATEC building, which opened in 2005. The ATEC building currently houses the library, the dining hall, meeting rooms and classrooms.
Former Faculty Association President Mike O'Konek said the ATEC building is a major asset for Big Bend students.
"The library is used by hundreds daily, and without this facility our students would not be able to achieve the level of education that they do today," he said.
O'Konek said the ATEC building is now a place for students to gather and interact, making them a stronger student body.
He also praised Bonaudi for helping the college get through the 2008 financial crisis.
"During the recession, his determination to retain student programs, student opportunities and employees here at Big Bend Community College was impressive," said O'Konek. "Big Bend has survived that recession and emerged even stronger because of his leadership."
Other major upgrades were made to the Big Bend campus during Bonaudi's tenure, including a new day care center and campus road improvements in 2003 and a new fine arts building in 2008.
The school's flight center also was expanded during his time.
Bonaudi told those gathered that while Big Bend's facilities belong to its students, they also belong to the community.
"This college belongs to everybody," he said.
It was community members who got the ball rolling on creating the college in the first place, said Bonaudi.
"This wasn't an idea that started in Olympia or somewhere on the west side," he said. Instead, it was created by the same people who worked on creating the irrigation project, Grand Coulee Dam and other important regional projects, said Bonaudi.
Which is why it should be seen as an accomplishment that Big Bend is now a value to the entire community, he said.
"It's understood that when you build a facility, it's obviously for the students, but it means so much more to the community," said Bonaudi. "That's what you try to accomplish."
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