photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

From left to right, Bobbie Flory, Smitty Blecher, Shirley Martin-Smith, Kevin Kelley, Megan Hill, Beth Easter and Brandon Petz attend the Peaslee Promise Campaign Committee kickoff meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

Peaslee Tech is taking its next steps on its $10 million endowment to expand access to debt-free technical education and long-term financial independence by appointing two community business leaders to help lead the effort.

As the Journal-World reported, the Peaslee Promise Campaign is a $10 million endowment initiative designed to expand access to technical training and ensure long-time affordability for students in Douglas County. It is also meant to support Peaslee Tech’s long-term financial sustainability.

Earlier this week, the committee announced the appointment of two community business leaders, Smitty Belcher and Shirley Martin-Smith, as co-chairs of the Peaslee Promise Campaign Committee. Together, Belcher and Martin-Smith will lead the committee of community leaders and supporters in advancing the campaign to help reach the $10 million goal.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Many community members gathered for the Peaslee Promise Campaign Committee kickoff meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

During the committee’s kickoff meeting on Thursday, Megan Hill, executive director of endowment for Peaslee Tech, said there has already been about $278,000 raised so far. That money includes a $100,000 gift from Robert and Lois Hanzlik to help launch the initiative.

“That’s a really brilliant start, I believe, considering that we haven’t even deployed this committee yet,” Hill said.

The purpose of the campaign’s committee is to contribute ideas for fundraising strategies, assist in identifying potential donors, promote fundraising through personal outreach and social media and work together to monitor progress toward the fundraising goals and provide feedback for improvement.

The campaign was launched in May 2025, and the endowment fund will provide debt-free technical education for high school juniors and seniors from 12 partner schools, as well as adult learners from low-income households. The endowment will be managed by the Douglas County Community Foundation and will support both student scholarships and Peaslee Tech’s long-term financial sustainability.

Belcher is board chairman of P1 Construction, and he has been recognized for his leadership in the construction industry. He has been a longtime supporter of Peaslee Tech and has helped advance technical training opportunities both regionally and nationally, according to a press release from Peaslee Tech.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

People gathered for the Peaslee Promise Campaign Committee kickoff meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

“Dwayne (Peaslee) was way ahead of his time espousing ‘you should have these kids go into a trade school,'” Belcher said at the meeting on Thursday. “And you look at it today, a lot of them go to college, come out with debt and they don’t have a job. You start an apprenticeship – we’ll pay you while you’re going through school, and you’ll come out … and you don’t have any debt.”

Martin-Smith is president of Martin-Smith Personnel Services Inc. and a founding leader of Peaslee Tech. She brings decades of experience in workforce placement, public service, and civic leadership. A former Lawrence mayor and long-time advocate for job creation, Martin-Smith has served as Chair of the Peaslee Tech Board since its inception.

“(Dwayne Peaslee) was an advocate for the community, born and raised here, (and) an advocate for our kids and for the opportunities that they needed to have and ones that they weren’t getting,” Martin-Smith said. “And so we’re here today because of his dreams and his visions and his never ending desire to educate everybody he could ever talk to about the importance of technical skills.”

Kevin Kelley, Peaslee’s CEO, said there is no timeline set for when they would like to have the money raised, “it’s kind of however long it takes.” While it will be providing scholarships to students, the funds will also go toward giving Peaslee Tech stability that doesn’t come from being publicly funded.

According to a handout at the committee meeting, over the past decade, Peaslee Tech has reduced its public funding support from the City of Lawrence and Douglas County from 94% to just 22%. Kelley said the goal is to have that number be zero.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Many community members gathered for the Peaslee Promise Campaign Committee kickoff meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

“Our goal is to be zero in terms of annual ask,” Kelley said. ” … Now we need to be self-sufficient, and that’s the purpose of this campaign.”

Tax-deductible donations to the Peaslee Promise Endowment Fund can be made online at peasleetech.org/peasleepromise or by mailing a check to the Douglas County Community Foundation, Attn: Peaslee Promise Endowment Fund, 900 Massachusetts St., Suite 406, Lawrence KS 66044.