The Frick Drone Excellence Program recently launched with a $50,000 investment in
Public Safety, Workforce Readiness, and Innovation Program Purposes at Sandhills Community
College thanks to a generous gift from Edward R. Frick. The funding will establish
a new, high-impact drone training initiative that strengthens emergency response capabilities
and prepares public safety professionals and workforce learners from various departments
at the college, with industry-recognized credentials.
“I think drone technology and usage will change everything throughout many industries
and are absolutely essential to modern day living, this is just the beginning,” said
98-year-old Frick, a Pinehurst resident, and former IBM Executive. “It’s an emerging
field which provides Sandhills opportunities to teach the necessary skills to operate
drones to impact our lives.”
He believes drone operations will provide good opportunities for jobs and new ways
to run businesses. “Things are moving so rapidly, and we need to take steps to ensure
we’re ready. Drones are as revolutionary as robotics, and I just see this as a whole
new breakthrough for various disciplines and industry. The list of applications and
opportunities for drone use is limitless. We always need to ask ourselves – what is
the next step, where are we going and how can we lead.” He currently runs two businesses
and works seven days a week.
The new drone program will deliver immediate, measurable outcomes while laying the
foundation for long-term program growth. The first class was held at the end of May
2026 with another scheduled for August 2026. With the $50,000 donation for drone equipment
and accessories, the funding will cover the cost of instruction and professional development.
Courses will include First Public Safety Drone Operations and FAA Part 107; training
on deliverables for public safety drone operations; training focused on mission planning,
safety, and emergency response applications; and FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Training
class preparing participants for the FAA knowledge exam. The Frick donation enables
an immediate expansion of public safety training capacity, delivers measurable outcomes
in Summer 2026, and establishes a scalable foundation for future drone education and
workforce pathways.
“We are very appreciative of this impactful gift and Mr. Frick’s continued curiosity
in education and technology,” said Alexander “Sandy” Stewart. “We don’t yet know all
the applications of drones but we’re taking steps to integrate them into many of our
programs on campus. It’s core to our mission to provide opportunities to people and
open doors for them and I can say, this will open the sky for them too.”
Frick has also funded the Frick Innovation and Technology Center at Sandhills Community
College, since 2018, where he has presented two awards annually to students as part
of the Frick Technology Achievement Award. The Frick Technology Achievement Award
acknowledges two Engineering and Information Technology students. Winners of the awards
are students enrolled in one of the Engineering or Information Technology related
programs who demonstrate outstanding creativity and technical competence. The $1,000
award for two students is presented annually.
Frick installed IBM's first worldwide online banking system and its first banking
computer network during his tenure at IBM. He was elected President of IBM's 100%
Club as the top computer salesman and was the General Manager and CEO of an IBM Independent
Business Unit.
“We can always improve things and do a better job,” said Frick. “I always look for
ways to get a plan, work hard and find how we can do better.” The new drone initiative
will do just that for students at Sandhills Community College.
To learn more about supporting students and programs, visit the Sandhills Community
College Foundation webpage.
Registration for the next drone training class is available through the Sandhills
Community College FundFive registration page.