John J. Rinker, President of the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Foundation, and his wife Sheila A. Rinker pose with Florida Southern College president Dr. Anne Kerr (left) behind a rendering of the new state-of-the-art technology center.
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LAKELAND, Fla. (May 15, 2008) — Florida Southern College held a groundbreaking ceremony today for a state-of-the-art technology center, to be named the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Technology Center. The new facility will be situated on the east side of Ingraham Avenue directly north of the FSC dining hall.

The Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Foundation of West Palm Beach, Fla., contributed $1.5 million to fund the facility, which has been designed by Wallis, Murphey, Boyington Architects of Lakeland. President of the Foundation John J. Rinker and his wife Sheila A. Rinker, who serves as vice president, were present at the groundbreaking.

In thanking Mr. and Mrs. Rinker for the gift, Florida Southern College president Dr. Anne Kerr said, “The new Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Technology Center will be the nucleus for learning on our campus, providing all students with the latest technology for individual, group, and classroom learning opportunities as they use a variety of state-of-the-art software, hardware, and internet materials to develop programs and presentations for their classes and their careers. We are most grateful to John and Sheila Rinker and the board of directors of the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Foundation for their transformational gift of $1.5 million to construct the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Technology Center at Florida Southern College.”

The approximately 4,000-square-foot building will house the College’s main student computer laboratory, classrooms, small group areas, and a reception and technical assistance area. Work is scheduled to begin this summer.