POWELL — Northwest College will hold a rededication and ribbon cutting for the Clay and Lynne Cummins Veterans Lounge as it officially moves from its former location inside the Frisby Building to the second floor of the NWC Student Center. The dedication and open house will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 1 to 3 p.m., and refreshments will be provided.

Opening remarks by NWC President Lisa Watson will begin at 1:15. Shelby Wetzel, executive director of the Northwest College Foundation, will introduce Clay and Lynne Cummins, whose support and investment made the lounge possible.

Clay Cummins attended Northwest College from 1959-61, earning a scholarship for his second year. With another scholarship in hand, he then transferred to the University of Denver where he completed his business administration degree. Ten days after graduating, he received a draft notice which set him on a 25-year career path that spanned the globe as he climbed the Army’s ranks to Lieutenant Colonel.

Following graduation from Ripon College in 1976, Lynne DeBeck’s mother encouraged her to explore military service and “see the world.” She joined the Army and during her last tour at the U.S. Army European Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, she met a fellow officer named Clay who was assigned to NATO Command Headquarters. In 1983, Clay returned to duty at the Pentagon, and Lynne resigned her commission as a Captain two years later and moved to Washington, D.C. They were married in 1987, and Clay retired in 1988.

Lynne pursued a second career as a management consultant, and in 1998, Clay convinced her to move to his home state and base her global travels from Montana. This proximity allowed him to reconnect with Northwest College and become an active volunteer with both the NWC Foundation and Alumni Association. Clay’s singular purpose has been to do “what is best for students,” which includes providing the space set aside for the NWC Veterans Lounge.