Flathead Valley Community College President Jane Karas and three FVCC trustees recently went to Washington, D.C., for a conference and to visit Montana’s congressional delegation.

The trip to the Community College National Legislative Summit is a yearly one in which the board members discuss advancements at the college and usually secure grant money for FVCC.

More than 1,000 community college leaders gathered in the capital from Feb. 10 to 13 to discuss issues regarding America’s two-year programs.

This year, the biggest topic of conversation for FVCC, particularly with Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., was the college’s new veterans center.

“We talked about the special needs of veterans returning to school,” Karas said. “And how they can be more prepared for civilian life.”

The veterans center provides a safe space for FVCC’s ample student veteran population and is headed up by Veterans Affairs liaison Sherry Taylor.

Karas, the chairwoman of the board of the American Association of Community Colleges, has been an important figure for community colleges nationwide.

The trip cost the college $4,700, but the trustees were quick to justify the price.

“From my standpoint it was money and resources well spent,” board President Robert Nystuen said. “It’s always good to remind our Congress that this is real stuff they vote on and it affects people at home.”

Nystuen went with fellow board members Shannon Lund and Mark Holston.

In the past, the trip had been a boon for FVCC, since trustees were able to lobby for more support and ensure grant money. One result of FVCC trustees at the D.C. summit was the $25 million Strengthening Workforce Alignment in Montana’s Manufacturing and Energy Industries grant, split among Montana’s smaller schools.

Holston saw the trustees’ role as more than just lobbyists.

“We’re really more of a partner with the politicians,” Holston said. “I’ve always protested the idea that we’re going there to lobby. But because of the way we assist with creating jobs, we have such a great hand to play in asking for legislation.”

The summit showed the nearly 2,000 community college trustees from around the country what can happen when legislation doesn’t go their way. The threat of minimized (or eliminated) Pell Grants could impact community colleges significantly. For FVCC, where enrollment has dropped 10 percent since last spring, cutting federal grants would be unfortunate.

“We talked about Pell Grants and the importance of those for our students,” Karas said.

Because of Montana’s relatively small population, the FVCC representatives didn’t feel as if they were reaching out to some unknown figures in the capital.

“I feel we are pretty in touch with our delegation,” Lund said. “It was very educational to see the big picture on a national level.”

One trustee who didn’t attend the summit, Tom Harding, had positive things to say about his colleagues’ trip to Washington.

“It’s one of the greatest investments the board has made,” he said. “It has paid out tremendous dividends over the last couple decades.”

Harding, who has served on the board since 1990, has gone in years past.

As the only representatives from Montana (Miles City and Dawson Community College did not send any members of their boards) and with the presence of Karas, Flathead Valley Community College held significant power in dealing with legislators.

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.