BUTLER TWP — Two companies have donated $50,000 each to the Butler County Community College Pioneer Proud Campaign, announced the BC3 Education Foundation.

Those companies are NexTier Bank and Snyder Associated Companies.

NexTier has a history of partnership with BC3. It has long supported the BC3 Center for Economic Education, and in 1996 it founded the BC3 Foundation Golf Outing.

Bank leaders have served on boards at the college, including the current BC3 Foundation board chair, Carol Achezinski, who is senior vice president, preferred corporate services at NexTier.

In a statement, Achezinski said, “I'm a graduate of BC3 and have long been impressed with the caliber of students, faculty and leadership at BC3. Since I became involved with the foundation, I see how private gifts make such a difference for both students and the community.”

Snyder Associated Companies has supported BC3 in the past but this is the largest gift it has made to the college.

Mark A. Snyder, corporate secretary of Snyder Associated Companies, stated that “as a company, we are interested in programs that prepare students for jobs in the regional economy, and I think BC3 does a great job with that.

“We are also pleased that the college can respond quickly to local opportunities, such as their new petroleum, energy and natural gas program and the opening of a satellite campus in Armstrong County.”

BC3 President Nick Neupauer commented, “We are thankful to be the beneficiary of the generosity of both NexTier Bank and Snyder Associated Companies. Our enduring friendship with NexTier opened the door for us at Snyder and for that we are very grateful.”

NexTier Bank, which is headquartered in Kittanning, has 24 offices in northern Allegheny, Butler and Armstrong counties.

Snyder Associated is a family-owned business headquartered in Kittanning, PA, with investments in mining, natural gas exploration and production, manufacturing, agriculture and banking.

The Snyder family owns a majority interest in NexTier.