GODFREY - Dwight Werts and Larry Trent both have a lot to be proud of in their lives, Dwight owner for years upon years of Werts Welding and Tank Services and Trent, a longtime law enforcement officer, including retiring as director of state police and president of the Riverbend Growth Association. The two men are beginning a tenure on the Lewis and Clark Community College Board of Trustees, and both sum it up quite simply: “The support was overwhelming from the community. It was a humbling and rewarding experience.”
Werts will enter his third term on the board. He started in 2009. In the end, he will have 18 years on the board when this term concludes.
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Werts said it is a non-paid position. He says the most satisfaction he gets is when he is able to hand someone on the stage their diploma to signify their hard work in getting a college degree.
“When I shake their hand and look at them in their eyes smiling, crying and maybe they are the first member of their family to ever graduate from college, it makes my soul feel good.”
Werts said over the next six years, he and Trent hope to keep the beautiful facilities the college has maintained and continue to make L&C an affordable community college to everybody in the district.
Werts is proud that L&C was just named in the top 50 community colleges in the U.S. list by Forbes Magazine.
“We are now one of the premier colleges in the U.S.,” he said. “I hope to try to work to unify the board.”
Larry Trent and Dwight Werts are good friends and share common beliefs, Werts said. Dwight said he believes with Larry’s vast experience, he will make an immediate impact on the board, with years of handling a $400 million budget with the state police and an enormous body of officers.
“Lewis and Clark is a huge economic engine for the region,” Werts said. “If you consider al the people who work for the college and supporting services I think an impact study was done and it is $360 Million year in economic impact. We need to keep Lewis and Clark Community healthy.”
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