INSIDE VSB
Personally Transformative David Buzzard ’05 VSB, ’13 MBA, knows how life-changing the experience can be. Shortly after starting his MBA in 2011, David and his wife, Lynda ’05 VSB, learned their newborn daughter had cystic fibrosis. When it came time for the Social Enterprise course, Buzzard saw an opportunity. Buzzard contacted the Delaware Valley chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He and his teammates met with foundation management and their board to identify new ways to grow the chapter’s annual revenues from $2 million to $5 million over the course of five years. “About 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, so there’s a limited audience that’s directly impacted,” Buzzard explains. “Our recommendations focused on expanding the markets the chapter could target.” In particular, the MBA team encouraged the Delaware Valley chapter to try new events to reach those not otherwise touched by cystic fibrosis—a strategy that the board readily and actively embraced. Since then, Buzzard and his wife have remained heavily involved with the organization. For the last four years, Buzzard co-chaired Philadelphia’s Finest, an annual fundraiser designed to engage younger professionals. It’s a direct link back to the MBA team’s recommendations— one that’s made a meaningful difference. Since its inception, the event has netted over $200,000 in new revenues for the chapter. “We expect to work with the [Cystic Fibrosis] Foundation for the rest of our lives,” Buzzard concluded. \v/
PwC Renovates Bartley Hall’s Auditorium and Creates an Endowed Fund for Accounting Faculty with $1 Million Gift This fall, VSB honored PwC with a dedication ceremony in celebration of their generous gift, which enabled the renovation of Bartley Hall’s 1011 auditorium—now named the PwC Auditorium— and created an endowed fund for the accounting department. The gift was a result of fundraising led by PwC, including donations from active and retired partners as well as PwC staff. Through their individual gifts and matching corporate funds, the gift exceeded $1 million in total. “As one of Villanova’s top employers, PwC has long been an important partner of ours and our relationship continues to grow,” said Dean Russell. “Their generous support not only improves the functionality of our building, but also helps fund faculty initiatives so we can continue to support our students’ education through our top-tier accounting program. This gift is just one of the many ways PwC invests in our students, faculty and alumni.”
Pictured left to right: David Buzzard ’05 VSB, ’13 MBA; James (age 1); Calista (age 4); and Lynda Buzzard ’05 VSB.
“We are excited to have a branded physical space to represent our commitment to the University, and we are equally excited to celebrate the dedication of the PwC Auditorium as our way of thanking all of those who contributed to support its renovation,” said Valerie Wieman, PwC partner, ’92 VSB.
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