Staff photo
Mount Sequoyah Retreat and Conference Center officials last week announced that the center was awarded a $300,000 matching grant from the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas.
The funds from the grant will be used to support repairs, maintenance, and upgrades of the facilities, including remodeling of the guest rooms, updated amenities, as well as infrastructure, electrical and HVAC repairs and replacement.
The grant also will be used to acquire technologies that improve guest experiences and create operational efficiencies, Mount Sequoyah officials said.
“Over the past 30 years, the facilities have been underutilized and fallen victim to economic pressures that left it in a state of disrepair,” said Abby Foster, Mount Sequoyah CEO. “With the help of the UMFA grant, Mount Sequoyah can become the nucleus of lay and clergy meeting, training, networking and conference events across the jurisdiction and the larger United Methodist Church, as well as to the secular community.”
Marketing director Ann Catherine Jouett said that fundraising efforts will officially kick off on July 1, but that the center hopes to hire a full-time fundraiser this week to help the center meet the matching requirement of the grant.
“Our goal is to go above and beyond the $300,000,” Jouett said. “This is just such a special place, and we want to do some things that are going to make it even better.”
