A pioneering institution: Butler County Community College, where careers are commenced and futures are formed

Business Journals

15-05-2025

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On a blustery spring day, Megan Coval wastes no time leading a band of first-time visitors across the handsomely rustic Butler County Community College main campus. In her first week as the college's president, the seasoned higher education professional is swift in expressing her confidence in BC3, as it is widely known. 'BC3 very quickly developed a good reputation,' Coval states. 'We had flexible classes where you could work and come at night, and so we grew to expand with that interest in mind.'
Go West
Her assurance in the employees, board of trustees, and friends of BC3 is well-placed. 'This past fall we had roughly 2,200 students taking credit courses, and nearly 16,000 on the noncredit side,' Coval states.
Employing a workforce of over 500, BC3 has a nearly $30 million annual operating budget. Tuition comprises $12 million of the total, with county and state monies adding the rest. And the college's very active Education Foundation supports special projects for the school. The local community steps up wonderfully also. 'Every year, for either big capital projects or things like scholarships or one-off projects, we have an incredibly generous community,' Coval adds.
Chartered in 1965, BC3 opened their doors the following year. Four wood-and-stone structures comprised the original main campus. They remain, forming the core of the current 13-building campus, which has spread out in all directions across the 330-acre grounds. 'We were the first community college in western Pennsylvania, a big point of pride for us, and it's the genesis of our mascot and our name, the Pioneers,' Coval states.
A new hand at the helm
On March 19, 2025, in a 15-0 vote, BC3's board of trustees appointed Coval as the college's ninth president, elevating her from her interim president post. She started at BC3 in September 2021, to fill the role of executive director of the BC3 Education Foundation and external relations.
Coval brings considerable experience in higher education, leadership, and government relations outside of her BC3 work. Prior to the college, she served as vice president of policy and federal relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in Washington, D.C. and, previous to that, she was director of government relations for the U.S. Department of Education's Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.
Coval holds a master of education degree in higher education administration with a policy focus from The Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor of arts degree in political science with a communication arts minor from Allegheny College.
Education for everyone
Today, BC3 offers certificates and associate degrees in business and information technology, liberal arts, education and behavioral sciences, nursing and allied health, and in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Additionally, five associate degrees and nine certificate and workplace certificates are offered fully online. 'The associate of arts and science degrees are really our transfer elsewhere,' Coval states.
BC3 offers noncredit courses as well. 'Those encompass continuing education, recertification, reskilling, or upskilling,' Coval says. 'Noncredit is more flexible. If there's a business looking for a certain type of training, we can put together for them apart from our academic programming.'
'Our noncredit programs, like our workforce training in business, public safety and industrial safety, and our personal enrichment courses that we call 'Lifelong Learning,' are for community members of all ages."
Farmers National Bank — partners in regional education
Farmers' relationship with the college goes back decades. 'The bank has provided full-platform banking services for BC3 including treasury management, card management, depository services, building financing and liquidity credit lines since 2010, and we have been partners in other endeavors long before that,' states William Marsh, Farmers Senior Vice President, Market President, Pennsylvania.
'On the community side, we have a tremendous relationship with Farmers,' Coval adds. 'Farmers has for years been the title sponsor of our annual golf outing, the major fundraising event of our year. Kyle Hilfiger, from our local Farmers branch, sits on the organizing committee and works the event.'
William Marsh agrees. 'We regularly participate in and support annual student activities like their investment club and foundation donations,' he continues. 'Farmers considers the college a community partner.'
President Coval also is a member of the local Farmers Community Advisory Board. 'Having a seat at that table is incredibly important to BC3,' she states. 'We're training and educating the people who work in the industries sitting around the table with us. Today, a college president's role has to focus more on being proactive and connecting with those representatives.'
The sky's the limit
On this crisp afternoon students waste no time scurrying across the BC3 campus. After all, there are classes to get to, lab work to accomplish, careers to establish. Coval is in her element. 'This is a very meaningful position to be in because I am back in my hometown, working in a field I care deeply about. Providing quality, accessible and affordable higher education to individuals, allowing them a better chance at a higher quality of life.'
To see how Farmers can help your business, reach out to William Marsh, Farmers Senior Vice President, Market President, Pennsylvania at [e-mail]. Or 844-800-2193.
About Farmers
Founded in 1887, Farmers National Banc Corp. is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Canfield, Ohio, with $5.2 billion in banking assets. Farmers National Banc Corp.'s wholly-owned subsidiaries are comprised of The Farmers National Bank of Canfield, a full-service national bank engaged in commercial and retail banking with 62 banking locations in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Portage, Stark, Wayne, Medina, Geauga and Cuyahoga Counties in Ohio and Beaver, Butler, Allegheny, Jefferson, Clarion, Venango, Clearfield, Mercer, Elk and Crawford Counties in Pennsylvania, and Farmers Trust Company, which operates trust offices and offers services in the same geographic markets. Total wealth management assets under care at March 31, 2025 are $4.3 billion. Farmers National Insurance, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Farmers National Bank of Canfield, offers a variety of insurance products. farmersbankgroup.com.