Culinary Arts Greenhouse established in honor of Kay Litke
August 8, 2019
Photo: From (L to R): Dr. Devin Stephenson, Sue Farrell (daughter of Kay and Don Litke), and Major General Don Litke, who is also a Northwest Florida State College Trustee.
NICEVILLE, FL – Major General Donald P. Litke and his family donated $150,000 to establish the Kay Litke Culinary Arts Greenhouse at Northwest Florida State College to honor and memorialize their beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Kay Litke.
Kay was an exceptional cook and hosted countless dinner parties in support of her husband’s active duty military career in the United States Air Force. The Litke family remembers Kay fondly for her love of cooking and the joy she found in hosting and preparing meals for others.
The family previously established the Kay Litke Culinary Arts Scholarship endowment to honor Kay. When the family heard of the greenhouse project they were immediately drawn to it, as they believe Kay would have loved her name associated with modern hydroponic farming techniques.
“My wife Kay dreamed of a career in the culinary arts,” said Don Litke. “She was never able to fulfill that dream because she joined me in 18 moves around the world in our 30-year USAF career. I am hoping our contributions to the Culinary Arts program will honor Kay by encouraging other aspiring students to fulfill their dreams.”
The establishment of this facility will help provide students with fundamental farm-to-table techniques, innovative green practices and equip students with marketable sustainability skill sets. Under the direction of the culinary arts leadership team, the project will also provide opportunities for community engagement.
“Gifts like the Kay Litke Culinary Arts Greenhouse allow our College to remain at the forefront of innovation in each of our programs,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, president of NWF State College. “The greenhouse project will position our culinary students to launch into the future with tangible and sustainable skills.”
For more information about partnership opportunities or ways to support Northwest Florida State College, please contact the NWFSC Foundation office at (850) 729-5357 or foundation@nwfsc.edu.