Written by Helen Person, VP/Director of Marketing & Public Relations at Benchmark Community Bank
KENBRIDGE, VA. July 31, 2024. Benchmark Community Bank is pleased to announce the establishment of the Jay A. Stafford Benchmark Community Bank FastForward Scholarship at Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC). Made possible through a $10,000 endowment to fund the scholarship in perpetuity, the award is designed to support Southside Virginia residents seeking to bolster the quality of life in their Southside community.
Named in honor of Benchmark’s recently retired President/CEO Jay A. Stafford, the scholarship will be awarded to students enrolled in the FastForward credentialing programs. These programs are dedicated to helping students seeking certifications in vocational, health, or licensed trade fields and who desire to work in or establish businesses in Southside communities served by the Bank. The enhancement of business opportunities within the Benchmark footprint is an area of great interest for Stafford as evidenced by his support for the SVCC Power Line Worker program.
“A native of Fredericksburg, Jay adopted Southside Virginia when he moved here in 1989,” said Neil Burke, President/CEO of Benchmark and a close co-worker. “He has always felt strongly about continuing trade and industrial education, especially in Southside Virginia. Benchmark is proud to provide scholarship funding in Jay’s name to support the FastForward Credential Programs at SVCC. He has invested much of himself through involvement with the organizations that support people in our footprint and has a strong interest in seeing the area thrive.”
A strong proponent for the Benchmark Community Bank Community Commitment Scholarship program for high school seniors, Stafford led the policy change that dedicated five of the ten $1,000 annual scholarships to students pursuing post-secondary education in the trades. He became especially connected to the SVCC Power Line Worker program following the 30-year ice storms that crippled much of the area in 2021 leaving over 1,000 households without electricity for up to three weeks. As a result, he spearheaded a $10,000 gift to the program, as well as $500 donations to volunteer fire stations throughout the Benchmark footprint.
The Jay A. Stafford Benchmark Community Bank FastForward Scholarship follows a tradition of Benchmark support for SVCC students. The Ben L. Watson Scholarship, named for the Bank’s first President/CEO Ben Watson who retired in 2006, supports SVCC students pursuing educational opportunities in finance or banking. The Michael O. Walker Scholarship, established in 2017, provides financial assistance for non-traditional students returning to school beyond their young adult years and who demonstrate a tradition of community service.
Application for the Stafford, Watson, or Walker scholarships is made through the Southside Virginia Community College Foundation. For more information, call the Foundation office at (434) 949-1051 or visit https://southside.edu/scholarships for a complete scholarship listing.