NEWS - Education & Colleges

11/09/2009 - Chatham Academy and the Royce Learning Center celebrated the completion of the school’s $350,000 in renovations with a ribbon cutting on Thursday morning, Oct 29.

A large group of parents were in attendance to watch students perform, hear about the school’s kickoff of its annual fundraising event and thank contributors to the project.

Several of the school’s older students said the new entrance looks much more “high-tech” and gave them a “proud feeling, compared to the prior entrance” and exterior.

Ashley Smith with Neely Dales Commercial Realty, who is this year’s chairman of the board of the school, thanked Erickson Associates, Inc., led by Clate Ralston, president, who was the general contractor, and Cogdell & Mendrala Architects, who did the design.

On hand for the event were Claudia Thomas, the school’s past board president; Chelsea Davis, Mall Boulevard manager for Darby Bank; Connie Williams, chairman of the board of Darby Bank; Doug Yates, Darby Bank’s city president;  Catherine Cooper, board member; and Liz McAlpin, with Travelers Insurance, also a board member.

Smith also thanked Chatham County for supporting the project.  Darby Bank provided a portion of the lending on the project, along with funds raised by contributors to the school.

According to Doug Yates, Darby's new city president, who was formerly on the board of a similar school in Greenville, S.C., such projects "are some of the most meaningful work you do."

Fresh Market and Krispy Kreme both donated food for the event.