Date: December 19, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dan Beard Council, Scouting America Announces $750,000 Gift 

from the Dever Family Foundation and Performance Automotive Network

For Skilled Trades Education Center

Cincinnati, OH – The Dever Family Foundation and Performance Automotive Network commits $750,000 to the Dan Beard Council’s Skilled Trades Education Center which is set to break ground in Spring 2025. 

This new facility, located on the Dan Beard Scout Reservation in Miami Twp outside of Loveland, Ohio, will be dedicated to train youth in plumbing, electricity, welding, carpentry, and automotive maintenance, and will be available to the community at-large offering participating organizations a chance to connect with potential future employees.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Dever Family and Performance Automotive Network to make the Skilled Trades Educational Center a reality,” states Andy Zahn, CEO and Scout Executive of Dan Beard Council. “Their exemplary leadership in our community and commitment to excellence in the automotive industry is truly inspiring and we are grateful for their vision and support.” 

“The Dever Family Foundation and Performance Automotive Network is proud to support the Dan Beard Council Skilled Trades Center,” states Shane Dever, President of Performance Automotive Network Cincinnati. “This is a long-term investment into the Greater Cincinnati region. The center will create opportunities for hands-on classroom experiences for young men and women giving them the skills needed to excel in the workforce, and fuel a qualified talent pool for businesses and industries for generations to come.”

Performance Automotive Network is a family-owned business celebrating 55 years of operations in 2025. They currently employ nearly 1,800 associates in the Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Greater Salt Lake City, Utah areas. Performance Automotive Network is listed by Automotive News as one of the 50 largest automotive dealership groups in the United States. 

The Dever Family Foundation was formed in 2011 to support charitable and other exempt organizations that primarily operate in the Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Salt Lake City areas. 

Dan Beard Council, Scouting America is the area’s largest youth organization serving 12,000 youth and mobilizing over 3,500 volunteers each year in 12 counties in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

For more information on the Skilled Trade Center, visit: https://danbeard.org/skilled-trades-center/