Limestone, City Of Gaffney New Members Of International Town & Gown Association

To further strengthen their relationship within the local community, Limestone College and the City of Gaffney recently joined forces to become joint members of the International Town and Gown Association (ITGA).

The ITGA is a nonprofit group that connects and helps municipal and college leaders address opportunities and challenges between higher education institutions and the communities in which they reside.

“Gaffney and Limestone College have a rich history of partnering to improve the lives of our students, faculty, staff, community members and visitors,” said Limestone President Dr. Darrell Parker. “Our goal moving forward is to meet regularly to discuss and address emerging community issues and future opportunities for growth. Fostering collaboration is critical to growing our relationship, and will enable the College and the City to adapt, tackle changing needs, and meet challenges facing our community.”

The College and the surrounding area have grown side-by-side since the College was founded in 1845 as the first women’s college in South Carolina and one of the first in the United States. Today, Limestone’s campus enrolls nearly 1,200 students, is one of the leading employers in Cherokee County, and has a significant economic impact on the area.

When Limestone is in session, the population of the City of Gaffney grows by approximately 10 percent. Last fall, the campus welcomed international students representing 32 different nations, while also having students from 33 different states across the country.

“Limestone College is absolutely a great asset for the City of Gaffney,” said City Administrator James Taylor. “We have long had an excellent working relationship, but we always think we can benefit from learning what others are doing. Being a part of an international association like this will help us to improve both the City of Gaffney and Limestone College and our relationships with each other.”

Limestone’s economic impact includes direct spending on goods and services, money spent by students, visitors, and employees, and capital improvements. Limestone students, their families and friends, and visiting athletic teams frequent city and county restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers, and hotels.

In the past year, Limestone students were involved in several events and activities to benefit the surrounding community, logging over 3,000 hours for community service projects and over 1,100 community engagement projects.

Limestone is now beginning to develop a Master Facilities Plan that will shape the College and the surrounding community’s future for decades to come. The $4.1 million Bob Prevatte Athletic Complex will soon be under construction, as well as a new $18 million Library and Student Center. In the fall of 2020, Limestone will move from college to university status, which should also spark growth across campus and the community.

“Our next master plan will look ahead to the future of not only Limestone, but to Gaffney as well,” Parker explained. “We invite broad participation from the City during that process.  This new Town & Gown partnership will enable us to provide a network of resources to assist City leaders, College officials, faculty, students, and neighborhood residents to collaborate on common services, programs, and citizen issues, creating an improved overall quality of life.”

Members of Limestone’s Town & Gown Committee include Parker, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kelly Curtis, Associate Athletic Director of External Relations Mike Smith, and Vice President for Communications & Marketing Charles Wyatt.

The members of the ITGA from the City of Gaffney include Taylor, Mayor Henry Jolly, and Assistant Administrators Jamie Caggiano and Scott Keller.

The formation of ITGA took place over a decade ago through a series of meetings and events in which municipal and academic leaders recognized a need for unification. Eight founding members joined forces to construct and nature the organization, creating a vehicle for leaders to meet, network, explore, and grow. In 2008, the ITGA was formally organized as a nonprofit organization, thanks to the vision of the City of Clemson and Mayor Larry Abernathy, the Joint City University Advisory Board, and Clemson University.