BUTLER TWP — Distinguished alumni, donors and student scholarship awardees were honored Oct. 18 by Butler County Community College at the annual Legacy Dinner.

Stephen J. Newcaster was named 2014 Distinguished Alumni, and Robert R. Heaton and Ed Shields were named 2014 Honorary Distinguished Alumni.

Newcaster earned associate degrees from BC3 in architectural and civil technologies in 1995 and 1996. After graduation, he started work with the firm that is now Stantec, where he is the senior associate.

Newcaster has worked with the BC3 architectural program as a guest teacher in architectural graphics and visualization. He is a former board member of Butler Downtown and currently chairs its Design Committee.

Heaton, a lifelong county resident, began working at the Studebaker dealership at age 11. In high school, he worked the “Victory Shift” at Bantam Car Co.

Heaton earned a degree in mortuary science and worked for 45 years as a funeral director. Following retirement, he worked in real estate and in 1993 founded the real estate development group RHGL Inc., along with mentor, friend and partner, Glenn Logan.

BC3 was a major influence to Heaton’s successful second career as he completed courses in real estate sales and real estate management. In August, Heaton donated $1 million to fund BC3’s library renovation on the main campus.

Shields also is a lifelong county resident and second-generation real estate broker. He graduated in 1958 from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1966, during BC3’s initial semester, Shields began teaching noncredit real estate classes. He also taught at Penn State University, Slippery Rock University and Duquesne.

In 1971, Shields opened Ed Shields Realtor on Route 8. He was honored as Realtor of the Year in three different decades by the Butler County Association of Realtors. He received Realtor Emeritus Designation by the National Association of Realtors for over 40 years of distinguished service.

Shields is on the Butler Township Planning Commission and the Community Development Corporation of Butler County.

Student scholarship awardees also were recognized at the event and had the opportunity to meet the donors who funded their specific scholarships.

The BC3 Education Foundation awarded $176,000 in scholarships for 2014-15.