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A Legacy That Moves Us Forward: °®¶¹´«Ã½ Receives Historic $5 Million Gift From The E. Hart Fund

April 28, 2026

Something extraordinary happened on campus this week! On April 27, 2026, the °®¶¹´«Ã½ community gathered at the Leidos Advanced Training Complex to celebrate a milestone that will shape the college’s future for generations: a $5 million gift from the E. Hart Fund, made in honor of the late Ellenae Fairhurst. This is the second contribution made in her name following the $500,000 donation made last year to set up the Ellenae Fairhurst endowed scholarship.

The investment will fund a full remodel of °®¶¹´«Ã½’s automotive building — upgrading the space where students gain the hands-on, industry-relevant skills that launch careers in one of Huntsville’s most vital sectors. It is the largest donation ever recorded from an individual in the Alabama Community College System’s history, and the single largest gift in °®¶¹´«Ã½’s 65-year legacy of serving this community.

“Ellenae Fairhurst had a tremendous impact on our community, but her legacy is not behind us. It is ahead of us!”

— Dr. Patricia Sims, President, °®¶¹´«Ã½ Community and Technical College

Dr. Sims stands at a clear podium inside a campus facility, speaking into a microphone beside a large rendering of the planned Ellenae Fairhurst Automotive Center displayed on an easel.

HONORING A VISION

Ellenae Fairhurst believed deeply in the automotive industry and in entrepreneurship as real pathways to upward mobility. Through the E. Hart Fund, her vision lives on — not as a memory, but as a promise to every student who will learn, grow, and launch their career from this campus.

Dr. Sims put it simply: “It is our dream that the next Ellenae Fairhurst is trained right here on our campus.” That dream now has the resources to become reality.

“To Dr. Sims and your leadership team — thank you for your partnership and for the work you do each day to shape the next generation.”

— Trishonda Woods, Advisor to the E. Hart Fund

An audience sits facing a podium inside a modern campus space as a speaker addresses attendees, with a large architectural rendering of the future automotive training facility displayed at the front of the room.An audience sits facing a podium inside a modern campus space as a speaker addresses attendees, with a large architectural rendering of the future automotive training facility displayed at the front of the room.An audience sits facing a podium inside a modern campus space as a speaker addresses attendees, with a large architectural rendering of the future automotive training facility displayed at the front of the room. An audience sits facing a podium inside a modern campus space as a speaker addresses attendees, with a large architectural rendering of the future automotive training facility displayed at the front of the room.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR COMMUNITY

For students, this means a renovated, modern automotive facility equipped to prepare you for the jobs and industries driving Huntsville’s growth. For alumni, it’s proof that °®¶¹´«Ã½’s impact continues to compound — your college is stronger today than when you graduated. For industry and government partners, this gift reflects the kind of bold investment in workforce development that keeps our region competitive.

°®¶¹´«Ã½ is honored to steward this gift and to carry forward the same faith the E Hart Fund has placed in this institution, extending it to every student who walks through our doors.