Cleveland State's Mark E. Smith Performance Center Grand Opening to be held on Wednesday

From Cleveland State: Cleveland State Community College Foundation will celebrate the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the newly renovated Mark E. Smith Performance Center on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 4 p.m. in the L. Quentin Lane Gymnasium on the Cleveland State campus.

The Performance Center is located on the first floor of the gymnasium and provides state-of-the-art fitness equipment to help student athletes maintain athletic consistency during the academic year. The facility is also open to students and employees.

Dr. John Squires, Vice President of Economic and Community Development, said, “Mark Smith is a proud alum and steadfast supporter of Cleveland State. His generous contribution to renovate and upgrade the Performance Center exemplifies his commitment to the success and well-being of our students, both on and off the field. We are deeply grateful for his dedication and leadership in strengthening our college and our community.”

The President and CEO of Smith Family McDonalds, Smith graduated from Cleveland State in 1980 with an Associate of Science Degree in Business Management and continued at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). He has served on Cleveland State’s Foundation Board of Trustees for more than 26 years.

While in college, Smith was the manager of the Cleveland State and UTK baseball teams. These experiences developed his passion for college athletics and his support for the Cleveland State Athletic Department. A member of the Cleveland State Athletic Hall of Fame, Smith established the Mark E. Smith Managerial Scholarship for Cleveland State students along with endowed scholarships at UTK and other universities.

The community is invited to attend the Grand Opening of the Mark E. Smith Performance Center on Jan. 15 in the L. Quentin Lane Gymnasium. The celebration will begin at 4 p.m. followed by a tour of the new center and a reception. There will also be a presentation during halftime of the women’s basketball game against Pellissippi State Community College.

For more information, call (423) 473-2262 or email foundation@clevelandstatecc.edu.