CHAIRMAN’S LETTER / SUMMER 2016 Dear Friends, Thank you to all who attended our board meeting on St. Simons Island last month. What a pleasure it was to be surrounded by so many who share a love for the University of Georgia. The end of the fiscal year is always an exciting time and this year we have so much to celebrate. First, the University of Georgia moved up to No. 17 on the Forbes “Top 25 Public Colleges 2016” list. The UGA Alumni Association shared this good news on social media and it resulted in its highest performing post, with alumni sharing how delighted they were to learn that their degrees keep getting more and more valuable. The second reason to celebrate is that for a third consecutive year, the University of Georgia has set a record in fundraising, bringing in $183.8 million in new gifts and commitments during fiscal year 2016. This is a 28 percent increase over the previous year’s record of $144.2 million, and gifts were raised from a record number of 67,435 contributors. Clearly, as support to the university continues to increase, so too does the university’s reputation both near and far. Thank you to all of our trustees and emeritus trustees for your passion, generosity and dedication. Each of you has played a role in these achievements and for that we are immensely grateful! Sincerely,
Ken Jackson Chairman
Foundation News
A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to our newest emeritus trustees This year we accorded emeritus status to four trustees whose generosity, service and dedication to the foundation will undoubtedly resonate for years to come. Darren DeVore, Keith Mason, Mary Lou Swift and Brenda Thompson, thank you for the commitment you have shown to the University of Georgia. You have been invaluable advocates for the university’s mission, and words cannot fully express how grateful we are for your leadership and support. It has been a pleasure to work alongside each of you, and we hope you will stay engaged with the foundation and the university as emeritus trustees.
From left to right: Keith Mason, Mary Lou Swift and Brenda Thompson at the 2016 Spring Board Meeting on St. Simons Island. (not pictured: Darren DeVore)
Welcome new trustees, advisory trustees and ex-officio trustees! I have the distinct privilege of welcoming four new trustees to our board: Allison Ausband, James “Jim” Childs, Frank Foley III and Larry Thompson, two advisory trustees: Betsy Camp and John Parker Jr., and two ex-officio trustees: Janet Frick and Houston Gaines. I look forward to working with all of our new board members and know that their varied perspectives, talents and backgrounds will be immensely valuable to the foundation. As all of you know, the main goal of the foundation is to ensure a bright future for the University of Georgia—its students, faculty, staff and the communities they serve. To our new members, thank you for taking on this goal as your own and for helping to ensure the success of UGA.
Elected trustees:
Allison Ausband is senior vice president of in-flight service at Delta Air Lines where she leads a team of more than 20,000 employees from around the globe. She serves on the University of Georgia Board of Visitors and has supported a broad range of organizations and institutions, including the UGA Washington Semester program. Ausband also serves as vice chair for the Delta Community Credit Union and as trustee of the William R. and Sara Babb Smith Foundation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications arts in 1983 from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Jim Childs is the founder and CEO of CHILDS Advisory Partners, a leading middle market mergers and acquisitions advisory firm with over 30 professionals and practices in business services, technology and health care. Prior to founding CHILDS, Childs was the founder and CEO of Impact Innovations, an IT services firm which grew to over $100 million in revenue prior to its sale in 2004. His previous work experience includes time at Robinson-Humphrey and Arthur Andersen. Childs graduated from the Terry College of Business with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1990. He played varsity tennis and was a member of the 1987 NCAA championship team and the 1987, 1988 and 1989 SEC championship teams. Childs went on to earn his MBA at Harvard University in 1993. Frank Foley III is CEO of The Foley Company. An American-owned company operating in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, The Foley Company provides construction services to agencies and municipalities throughout the Southeast. Foley graduated from the Terry College of Business in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in general business. UGA’s baseball field, Foley Field, is named in honor of his grandfather, Frank D. Foley, who was the pitcher on the 1908 championship baseball team.
Larry Thompson was a partner in the Atlanta law firm of King & Spalding and served as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and U.S. deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. He then led PepsiCo’s worldwide legal function, as well as its global government affairs and public policy group as executive vice president until 2014. Thompson now holds the John A. Sibley Chair of Corporate and Business Law in UGA’s School of Law and is a member of the Faculty Division of the Dean Rusk International Law Center Council. Most recently, he joined the Atlanta-based law firm of Finch McCranie LLP to provide counsel to attorneys and clients on selected matters. Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree from Culver-Stockton College in 1967, a master’s from Michigan State University in 1969 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan in 1974. He and his wife, emerita trustee Brenda Thompson, were presented with the 2015 Friend of UGA Award by the UGA Alumni Association.
Advisory trustees:
Betsy Camp is president and chief executive officer of DF Management, Inc., a private investment and commercial real estate management company. Previously, she was president and CEO of Camp Oil Company until 2000. In 2006, she formed The Gender Gap Foundation, which provides funding for the advancement of educational facilities and opportunities for women. Camp graduated from the Terry College of Business with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1974. She received her Juris Doctor from UGA’s School of Law in 1977.
John Parker Jr. is senior vice president and general counsel for strategic initiatives at Coca-Cola Enterprises. He graduated magna cum laude from UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1973. He then earned a master’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1974 and his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina in 1985. Reid’s father, J. Reid Parker, was an associate professor and undergraduate student adviser for the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. He also shared responsibilities with Coach Vince Dooley as the UGA Athletic Director of Administration from 1978-1980.
Ex-officio trustees: Janet Frick is the incoming chair of the university council executive committee succeeding David Shipley. She is associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ psychology department and associate department head of the Behavioral and Brain Sciences Program. Houston Gaines is the University of Georgia student body president succeeding Johnelle Simpson. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science from the School of Public and International Affairs.
A fond farewell to Cindy Coyle After over 30 years of esteemed service, the UGA Foundation bid a fond farewell to Cindy Coyle on
June 30. It is hard to imagine the UGA Foundation without Cindy as executive director and chief financial officer, however, her retirement has been undeniably well-earned, and we wish her the best of luck with her next chapter. To honor Cindy for her exemplary leadership, emeritus and elected trustees collectively committed $56,736 to establish an endowed fund in Cindy’s name. This incredible tribute was announced at June’s board meeting and will be called the Cindy Coyle Washington Semester Student Scholarship, allowing two deserving students to take advantage of the unique learning experiences offered in Delta Hall in our nation’s capital. Thank you to all who contributed to this special endowment!
Cindy Coyle at the 2016 Spring Board Meeting on St. Simons Island.
Campus News
UGA and its supporters take steps to eradicate hunger on campus
More UGA students will be able to concentrate on their education and worry less about their next meal thanks to a significant six-figure gift from the R. Halsey Wise and Lisha S. Wise Family Foundation to the Let All the Big Dawgs Eat Food Scholarship. Likewise, the board has voted to extend $250,000 of surplus funds to support this important cause. I’m sure many of you, like me, were surprised to learn that food insecurity is a growing problem on college campuses nationwide. UGA’s financial aid data shows that there are 7,000 UGA students who don’t receive enough financial aid to cover the cost of attending the university, making them the most at-risk for food insecurity and hunger. Many of the students who apply for food scholarships are high-achieving students who receive merit-based scholarships, and they must maintain two to three jobs to cover unmet financial needs. For the Fall 2016 semester, 373 students applied for Let All the Big Dawgs Eat food scholarships. At that time, funds were available to award 32 scholarships. One of our goals as trustees is to assist the university in increasing access to UGA’s incredible learning environment. In order to truly take advantage of all that UGA has to offer, students must have their basic needs met. The Wises’ gift along with the support made available by the foundation’s budget surplus, a product of careful planning, will transform this scholarship to make an exponentially greater impact on UGA’s most at-risk students.
Student generosity abounds at UGA Each year, the UGA Student Alumni Council encourages graduating seniors to give back to their university by donating $50 to the Senior Signature campaign. The Class of 2016 donated 1,752 gifts for a grand total of $85,550, the second highest total in Senior Signature history. Congratulations to the SAC team for their successful efforts!
Welcome Dr. Stephen Trent and Dr. Eric Harvill UGA’s recent hiring initiatives have attracted some of the nation’s leading infectious disease researchers, furthering the university’s mission to safeguard and sustain our world. Two recent hires made possible through the support of endowed professorships are: Dr. Stephen Trent and Dr. Eric Harvill, both in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Stephen Trent is the UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor in Infectious Diseases. Through his research, Trent is developing methods to use bacteria to improve the efficacy of vaccines for diseases such as influenza, pertussis, cholera and HPV. Eric Harvill, the Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Medical Microbiology, studies respiratory pathogens such as the bacterium that causes whooping cough. His lab is working to develop new vaccines and treatments for whooping cough and other communicable respiratory diseases.
Foundation Fellow Jonah Driggers receives Udall Scholarship
Jonah Driggers has been named a 2016 Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation Scholar. This prestigious scholarship is awarded annually to outstanding students pursuing careers related to environmental and Native American public policy. Jonah has taken advantage of every opportunity afforded by the Foundation Fellowship to fulfill his career aspiration to work as a policy leader helping the U.S. transition to clean energy. He has participated in several research projects through the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities and at the UGA River Basin Center, and interned in the Office of Climate Preparedness at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He’s even founded his own organization on campus, The Energy Concept, with the goal of encouraging discussions of energy strategies across disciplines. Congratulations, Jonah!
Nominations for the University of Georgia Board of Visitors are open The Board of Visitors Selection Committee is looking for elected officials, business leaders and directors of community organizations to join the UGA Board of Visitors. This important group helps promulgate positive messages about UGA to their communities, serves as proponents of the great work that takes place on campus, and ultimately, helps build a constituency with a strong knowledge base and passion for advocacy for the University of Georgia. We ask all of our trustees to please consider nominating any interested candidates. Members must be willing to serve on the board for two years and attend six lunch programs in the Atlanta area (three each year). Nominations for both UGA alumni and non-UGA alumni are encouraged and nominations of diverse candidates are appreciated. Nominations will be open from August 1 to September 12 and can be made here.
2017 UGA Alumni Awards: Now Accepting Nominations For the past 80 years, the UGA Alumni Association has honored its most exemplary alumni through its Alumni Awards program. These awards (Alumni Merit, Faculty Service, Friend of UGA, Family of the Year and Young Alumni) recognize outstanding commitment and dedication to UGA while inspiring others to help build a culture of philanthropy at the university. This year, the UGA Alumni Association is re-establishing an open nominations process and seeks your assistance in promoting the nominations. Nominations will be accepted through 2016 UGA Alumni Award winners: Christie Haynes, Larry September 2, 2016, on the UGA Alumni and Brenda Thompson, Hon. Saxby Chambliss and Karen Association website. Questions should be directed Holbrook (not pictured: Henry “Greg� Gregory, Jr.) to Lauren Cook in the Office of Alumni Relations. Please also save the date for the Alumni Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 21, 2017, the day before the G-Day football game.
Upcoming Events
August 11
First Day of Fall Semester Classes
September 8 11:00 AM
2016 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon More Fall Board Meeting Athens, Georgia Presidents Club Reception Tate Student Center, Grand Hall 45 Baxter Street Athens, Georgia Fall Board of Visitors Meeting Buckhead Club 3344 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, Georgia More Homecoming Weekend
September 29-30 September 30 6:00 PM
October 5
October 14-16
University of Georgia Foundation 394 South Milledge Ave., Suite 100 Athens, GA 30602-5582 (706) 542-6677 www.ugafoundation.org