Dale Pinkerton

More than three dozen individuals, companies and organizations have gifted nearly $29,000 to a new Butler County Community College scholarship celebrating the life of A. Dale Pinkerton, a Butler County businessman, two-term county commissioner and former BC3 trustee who died in January at age 79.

This fall, the BC3 Education Foundation will award its first $1,000 Dale Pinkerton Leadership Scholarship. Created by Pinkerton's wife, Millie, the scholarship is available to a first-year, full-time BC3 student who has successfully completed the Butler County Youth Leadership program organized by the Butler County Chamber of Commerce.

“I've known Dale since I was 16,” Millie Pinkerton said. “He was always a leader. Even in high school (at Carrick), he always sold the most candy bars. He always sold the most magazines. He was so proud of BC3. He loved kids. This scholarship puts the two together.”

Pinkerton “was a huge supporter of the nonprofits in the community,” said Ruth Purcell, executive director of the BC3 Education Foundation. “He was one of those guys who always had a good word for you, and was always promoting the college.”

Millie Pinkerton agreed.

“Everything he did, he did for other people,” she said. “That's what a leader should do.”

As a county commissioner, Pinkerton served as a BC3 ex-officio trustee from January 2007 to December 2011.

Dr. Nick Neupauer, president of BC3 since 2007, said Dale was part of the board that appointed him president.

“He was supportive in so many ways — both personally and professionally,” Neupauer said. “We still have many trustees who were appointed by Dale. And those individuals have much to do with our overall success. It is also fitting that his scholarship will help others achieve success.”

Jordan Grady, executive director of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, called Pinkerton “a tremendous individual,” and praised his lifelong community service.

The Leadership Butler County Class of 2017 established the free Butler County Youth Leadership program as part of its annual class project, said Amanda Fleming, a college business services specialist at BC3 and member of the LBC Class of 2017, who serves as a board member for the program.

“We thought, 'What a great opportunity to involve the youth, and show them what Butler County has to offer,'” Fleming said.

Open to juniors in Butler County high schools and in charter schools, the Youth Leadership Program aims to provide students with exposure to issues, resources and service opportunities as well as the concept of community leadership. Nearly 75 students have graduated from the program since its inception. Program graduates who enroll at BC3 are eligible for a $500 scholarship from the BC3 Education Foundation.

“(This scholarship) just strengthens the program even more,” Grady said. “For Millie to decide that one of the criteria to receive this scholarship was to have them complete this program, that just means the world to this program and to the chamber.”

The Butler County Youth Leadership Program is an affiliate of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and its foundation, New Visions for Butler; and of Leadership Butler County. The program is sponsored by NexTier Bank, BC3, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Armstrong, Stantec, Butler Business Systems and Butler Health System.

William Foley is the coordinator of news and media content at BC3.