“ Nice meeting you! My name’s Mike. What’s yours? Tell me about yourself,” says Mike Calhoun, ’72, to about any stranger he meets. The tall man with a wide, friendly smile and warm handshake makes himself an instant friend to anyone he meets who will take a moment to talk. “Money Mike,” as he’s lovingly referred to by his colleagues in the College’s Advancement Department, has been a goodwill ambassador for his alma mater for the past 25 years. His title is senior major gifts officer, but he manages to be involved in about any activity that promotes the College with no signs of slowing down. The campus, frankly, just wouldn’t be the same without him.
S T A F F SPOTLIGHT:
MIKE CALHOUN '72
“Mike is a master of relationships, a quality that comes from his genuine, kind, engaged interest in people. I’m so grateful that he is out there building quality relationships on behalf of Georgetown College. That’s what this institution values above all else,” says President Rosemary Allen.
Mike’s early years were spent in Norwood, Ohio, in the greater Cincinnati area. A basketball player intent on a career as a coach, Mike first attended the University of Cincinnati but then transferred to Georgetown his sophomore year. On campus he majored in physical education and sociology while playing basketball under legendary Coach Bob Davis and with standout players like Kenny Davis, ’71, and the late Jim Reid, ’70, who later coached the Tigers through 23 successful seasons.
“Mike works tirelessly to ensure the College is successful. His decades of devotion, relationship building, and fundraising are cornerstones of his success; his work ethic is inspirational,” says Senior Vice President of Advancement John Davis. Colleague Tammy Owens, director of donor relations, describes Mike as loyal, trustworthy, and humble. “His affinity for Georgetown College shines through every interaction and his kindness is genuine, no matter what your connection is to the College.”
Provost and Executive Vice President Jonathan Sands Wise sums up his feelings about Mike in this way: “It’s always a joy to work with Mike to support this college. He is always incredibly appreciative of what others do; he knows everyone and works so well with our alumni; he is humble and puts others first. He truly lives out the Christian mission of the institution that he serves so well.”
GC MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022
For 25 years Mike lived his dream of coaching basketball, as assistant coach at Franklin County High School in Frankfort, Ky., and at three universities: Samford, Murray State, and Indiana State. He completed his career as assistant and then head coach for Eastern Kentucky University. His wife Sharon (Dotson) Calhoun, ’72, was still teaching middle school. With three kids to put through college, Mike found a second career here, working first as the director of the Leadership Office. In 1999 he was named Director of the Athletic Foundation, then in 2000 he became a gift officer, and has taken on roles in alumni development at various times.
His love for all things Georgetown rubbed off on his children, all of whom are graduates. Kevin Calhoun, ’98, married classmate Alison (Witt) Calhoun, ’98, and is the assistant athletic director and men’s head tennis coach at Transylvania University; Kristen (Calhoun) Fardo, ’99, is a preschool teacher in Kentucky; and Karen (Calhoun) Lilge, ’01, is a preschool teacher in Georgia. “One of Dad’s favorite things to do now is declare holidays and family birthday dinners to be Georgetown College alumni events. When the six of us are Mike as part of the men’s together, they certainly are,” says Kevin. Tiger basketball team, 1972 “My sisters and I felt that we were the luckiest people in the world to have our daddy at college with us,” says Kevin. “We loved eating lunch with him in the cafeteria and having our friends get to know him. The devotion and loyalty my dad has towards Georgetown College is deep. He believes in the mission and values of the College and lives what the College taught him and teaches it to those who follow him: faith in God, loyalty to others, sacrificial service, and a commitment to learning.” Kevin says Mike passed those values to him and his sisters and continues to share it with his four granddaughters and grandson.
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