FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA MAYOR CASTOR Honors MacDonald Training Center’s 70th Anniversary
and eMerge Career Education, A Unique Post-Secondary Program for Students with
Autism and other Disabilities – Licensed by FDOE, on February 16, 2023, at 1:30 PM
TAMPA, FL (February 9, 2023): MacDonald Training Center (MTC), Tampa’s premier provider of services to people with disabilities, is celebrating 70 years of uniting hope with opportunity. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is honoring this tremendous milestone of 70 years of dedicated service with a Proclamation. Mayor Castor will present the Proclamation to MTC President/CEO Karenne Levy on February 16th at MacDonald Training Center, 5420 W. Cypress Street, Tampa, 33607 at 1:30 PM.
“MTC continues to evolve to meet the needs of our community, “ explains MTC President, Karenne Levy. “We honor the legacy of MacDonald Training Center while celebrating new educational programs that meet the needs of a new generation of students with disabilities. Our founder, J. Clifford MacDonald was a man of hope. Mr. MacDonald put hope into action when he opened one of the first preschools for children with disabilities. He understood the power of education and the dignity of employment. He elevated the national consciousness of what might be possible. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his vision and action. He dreamed big and so do we at MTC today. I think he would be proud of our advancements in equitable educational and employment programming for people with
all disabilities. We expand the possibilities for young people on the brink of adulthood, by providing opportunities for individuals to unite with the community each step of their lives.”
MacDonald Training Center (MTC) has been a beacon of hope since 1953 when J. Clifford MacDonald and a small group of parents opened one of the first pre-schools in our nation for children with disabilities in Drew Park. Seeking a more equitable and inclusive life for their children, these courageous families boldly rejected the status quo. MTC has moved their vision forward for seventy years, always creating new pathways to opportunities for people with disabilities. Today, thousands of individuals with all disabilities are living and working in our community because of innovative life enrichments, vocational skills training, specialized post-secondary educational programs, community based residential supports, and employment placement services they received through MTC.
For more information please contact: Phyllis Guthman, Director of Advancement
pguthman@macdonaldcenter.org or 813 205-1971
