Occidental Magazine - Winter 2019

Page 1

WINTER 2019

Office of Communications F-36 1600 Campus Road Los Angeles CA 90041-3314

Nonprofit U.S. Postage Paid Occidental College

Battleground Stakes: Tracking Campaign Semester

Committed to Oxy: Anne Cannon ’74

Address Service Requested

WINTER 2019

As an American studies major at Occidental, Mark Rountree ’79 got his introduction to fundraising for nonprofit organizations—an interest that he turned into a profession, with a focus on philanthropy for higher education and the arts. For the majority of his career, Mark has worked with nonprofits in the South and Midwest as a consultant and development officer. In addition to his education, “My years in Eagle Rock had an immeasurable and positive impact on every job, every adventure, and nearly every relationship in my life ever since,” says Mark. Since 2010, he has been vice president, partner, and senior consultant with Ashley|Rountree and Associates, which provides fundraising, campaign planning, board development, and management consulting services to nonprofit organizations in Louisville, Ky., and the surrounding region. His liberal arts education challenged him to Kay and Mark Rountree ’79 think critically about the world and himself, and Mark Photo by Jolea Brown Anderson credits his Oxy professors, administrators, classmates, and even his dorm advisers (he was head resident of Chilcott Hall ing goal, and gaining the satisfaction of knowing that his planned as a senior) for making him who he is today. gift will support the educational experience of Tigers in perpetuity. With his 40th reunion approaching, Mark and his wife of nearly Mark recognizes that his undergraduate experience was made 16 years, Kay—the couple met in her hometown of Owensboro, possible not just by annual support, but also through bequests to Ky.—wanted to make a difference in the lives of as many students the endowment that were realized long before he arrived on camas possible. To that end, the couple recently set up a revocable be- pus. He urges every alumnus and alumna to include Occidental in quest intention, designating the College as a beneficiary in their will. their estate planning, regardless of the amount: “Oxy made a difIt didn’t stop there: Mark and Kay also set up future distribu- ference in your life, so please consider making a difference at Oxy.” tions from their local community foundation, which will support Mark looks forward to returning to campus in June to sit in on the department of American studies because they believe that the a class taught by Newhall, catch up with his classmates, and celeprogram’s inherently interdisciplinary nature gets to the heart of brate his alma mater with Tigers of all ages around the Lucille Y. the liberal arts experience. The Rountrees’ gift underscores the Gilman Memorial Fountain (which Mark helped to build as a part value of Mark’s education in many ways: recognizing one of his of a student crew under the direction of professor of sculpture favorite professors, Eric Newhall ’67, who will retire from Oxy this George Baker). “I just love sitting for a good, long time on a bench spring; counting his planned gift toward his class reunion fundrais- among the roses and trees in the Quad,” he says. Io Triumphe!

Rising

STAR

Breaking news junkie Yasmin Vossoughian ’00 gets the conversation going as an anchor for MSNBC

oxy.edu/magazine

Occidental College Office of Gift Planning M-36 | 1600 Campus Road Los Angeles CA 90041-3314 | Phone: 323-259-2644 Email: giftplanning@oxy.edu | oxy.edu/giftplanning | facebook.com/BenCulleySociety

ACTING GLOBALLY: INSIDE THE KAHANE U.N. PROGRAM /// WOOFERS AND TWEETERS: TWO CANINE MATCHMAKERS

Making Their Mark on Oxy


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