J.F. Electric donates $50,000 to Mannie Jackson Center for Humanities
EDWARDSVILLE — J.F. Electric Inc. has donated $50,000 to the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities in support of Madison County youth.
J.F. Electric traces its roots to The Fowler Co., which was started in 1925 in St. Louis and relocated to Centralia, Ill., during the Great Depression. In 1969, James C. Fowler purchased the electrical division and relocated to Edwardsville, which was the beginning of J.F. Electric.
In 2005, J.F. Electric moved into their new headquarters located at 100 Lakefront Parkway in Edwardsville. The Fowler business, including Greg Fowler, president and CEO; Jonathan Fowler, son and vice president; Mandy Fowler, daughter and marketing coordinator; and Jim Fowler, Greg’s father and chairman of the board, have grown J.F. Electric to be one of the Top 100 privately owned businesses in the St. Louis Metro East area.
For the past 49 years, the family-owned electrical contractor has continued to create connections and deliver value to the Edwardsville community and beyond.
“On behalf of the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Board of Directors, I want to sincerely thank the Fowler family for their continuous support of our youth, and their commitment to making the Edwardsville community a better place for its citizens, and especially our young people,” said Dr. Ed Hightower, executive director of the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities and the former, longtime superintendent of schools in Edwardsville, which Greg Fowler noted.
“My family and I are committed to this community, and are grateful for the opportunity to continue investing in initiatives that support our youth. I grew up in Edwardsville, and three of my children attended the Edwardsville School District under Dr. Hightower’s leadership. I have witnessed his commitment to our youth, and support the programs occurring at the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities,” Greg Fowler said.
The Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities is sponsoring two major programs that are positively impacting Madison County youth. Conversation Toward a Brighter Future includes all Madison County high schools and middle schools and focuses on respect, dignity, understanding, and forgiveness. Students identify issues facing their schools and communities and develop positive solutions. Each school is provided a $5,000 scholarship for their two-year project.
Recently the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities opened the Alma Irene Aitch STEM Center in collaboration with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Regional Superintendent of Education, and Lewis and Clark Community College. Dr. Sharon Locke, associate professor and director of the SIUE STEM Center will lead this STEM Meets Humanities Initiative, where programming will connect the human and technical dimensions of the humanities and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
To learn more about the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities and its programs or how you can participate or contribute to their cause, visit http://www.mjchf.org/page/about-the-foundation/.
PHOTO: Fowler family members pose with Dr. Ed Hightower during a presentation of a check for the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities.
