Fall 2015 Chairman's Letter

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER / FALL 2015

Dear Friends: It was great to see many of you at our fall board meeting in Athens and to enjoy the camaraderie and spirited meetings that took place over our two days. We accomplished a great deal in the brief time we had together which is a tribute to your hard work, expertise and dedication to the University of Georgia.

In the pages that follow, we will recap some of the highlights from our sessions and bring you other university news that is relevant to the foundation.

Please mark your calendars for our next board meeting in Athens February 25 and 26, 2016. So that you may plan accordingly, Karin Usry will be sharing details on the committee meetings, the full board session, and the dinner and lunch programs via email well in advance of those dates.

Thank you for everything that you do for the foundation and the university. Your efforts are greatly appreciated and are helping to keep the University of Georgia on an upward trajectory as one of America’s great institutions of higher education!

Because the next Chairman’s Letter is not scheduled until early January, please accept my best wishes for you and yours to enjoy the very best in the coming holidays.

Sincerely,

Ken Jackson Chairman

Terry Business Learning Community highlights It has been a very busy and exciting fall for the Terry College of Business as a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to dedicate Correll Hall, the first building to open in the Terry Business Learning Community at the corner of Lumpkin and Baxter streets in the heart of campus. Correll Hall houses more than 74,000 square feet of classrooms, conference space, business laboratories and a graduate commons area.

On the same day, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for Amos Hall and phase two of the complex, which is scheduled for completion in 2017. The facilities in phase two, spanning approximately 140,000 square feet, will include two large auditoriums, classrooms, a securities trading room, a behavioral lab and an undergraduate commons area.

Groundbreaking on the third and final phase is expected in 2017 with a target completion date in 2019. It will house an additional 72,000 square feet for classrooms, offices and conference space. The total project represents the largest public-private partnership for construction of academic facilities in the university’s history.

The Terry Business Learning Community was front and center at the Board of Visitors fall meeting in Atlanta earlier this month.

A panel discussion led by Terry College Dean Ben Ayers featured UGA Foundation Emeritus Trustee Pete Correll (at left in photo) and Past Chair and current Trustee Dan Amos, two of the university’s most generous benefactors. They were joined by Terry students Adrian Obleton (center) and Sarah Greenwood (right) in a very interesting discussion that offered a broad perspective for the crowd on the many benefits that are already being enjoyed by Terry students, faculty and staff … and a look at what we should expect as each new phase is completed.

UGA Foundation Trustees invited to all Board of Visitors meetings A reminder that the Board of Visitors holds a quarterly luncheon in Atlanta and all trustees of the foundation are encouraged to attend. Each luncheon features a presentation on new developments, outstanding achievements and other interesting aspects of the many great stories involving the University of Georgia.

WINTER BOARD OF VISITORS MEETING Thursday, February 11, 2016 Piedmont Driving Club 1215 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta 11:30 to 1:30pm Topic: The Diverse Impact of UGA’s Public Service & Outreach SPRING BOARD OF VISITORS MEETING Wednesday, May 11, 2016 Buckhead Club 3344 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta 11:30-1:30pm Topic to be determined

UGA Foundation boosts investment in Student Managed Investment Fund It is always exciting when the foundation is able to work with University of Georgia students. I am elated by news that the Investment Committee voted unanimously to invest $750,000 from the foundation’s endowment in the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) as part of the long-term portfolio strategy.

The foundation’s investment boosts SMIF’s funds under management to more than $1 million and, based on a strong investing track record achieved by the students over the years, is a sound strategy.

Enhancements made to the GAIL system The university’s Gift and Alumni Information Link (GAIL) system has undergone a few upgrades and enhancements recently. An area that may be of particular interest to you focuses on a better organized gift history page for each donor.

By logging in to http://gail.uga.edu you will be able see a thorough breakdown of where your gifts to the university have been made over your lifetime.

I encourage you take a look when convenient.

As always, if you have any questions about your giving history, or if you have questions of a technical nature when using GAIL, your development liaison can provide assistance.

The Student Managed Investment Fund was initiated in 2006 with a $100,000 gift from Darren and Pam DeVore. They wanted to give students practical experience through an opportunity to serve as actual investment managers rather than learning about the financial services industry through hypothetical investment scenarios.

In addition to his service as a UGA Foundation trustee, Darren sits on the board of the Student Managed Investment Fund.

Cindy Coyle to retire as UGAF executive director and CFO It is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify the positive impact Cindy Coyle has had on the University of Georgia Foundation in her 30 years of service. She joined the university staff in 1986 to work on moving the foundation’s operations from Atlanta to Athens, and over the years, assumed greater responsibilities. In 1999, she accepted the position of chief financial officer and became our executive director in 2005.

We learned at the fall board meeting that Cindy will be stepping down at the conclusion of the current fiscal year, June 30, 2016. We are tremendously happy for Cindy that she will have more time to spend with her family and, specifically, her beautiful grandchildren. At the same time we have a challenge ahead of us in finding a replacement.

The executive committee met while we were in Athens to review a transition timeline and will be working with a search firm to assist in recruiting Cindy’s replacement. I am most appreciative that Bill Douglas has agreed to lead the search committee, which will include both foundation trustees and select University of Georgia staff members.

Fortunately, we still have eight months to work with Cindy, and we’ll certainly give her an appropriate send off when the time is right. I believe I speak for every member of the board when I say she has earned our undying gratitude, and we wish her the very best as she nears retirement.

Trustee Giving Guidelines modified I was pleased that we received a unanimous vote of the full board to adopt several amendments to the Trustee Giving Guidelines which emphasize the expectation of 100% participation among trustees in annual unrestricted giving. We agreed that full participation is an obligation that goes with the privilege of board membership and is true even for those who may have made major commitments to schools or colleges.

Key points of the amendments include: •

The requirement for annual giving has been rolled into a single annual unrestricted gift of $5,000. These funds will be allocated to the unrestricted Georgia Fund, the President’s Venture Fund and the Legacy Endowment of the University of Georgia Foundation Trustees.

•

The suggested annual gift amount remains $10,000, but those fulfilling major commitments are only expected to make the additional $5,000 annual unrestricted gift.

No amendments were made to the guidelines with regard to planned giving. A planned gift of at least $25,000 is still a standard by which we all agreed to abide with an expectation we would all consider a major campaign commitment of $100,000 or more.

For more information or to discuss a gift to the university, please contact your development officer. He or she will be pleased to assist you.

Former provost gives $500,000 to UGA College of Public Health The University of Georgia College of Public Health has received a $500,000 gift to create the Karen and Jim Holbrook Distinguished Professorship and an endowed fellowship to support graduate students in global health.

Karen Holbrook (pictured at right) served as UGA provost and senior vice president for academic affairs from 1998 to 2002 before being named president of The Ohio State University. Jim Holbrook is a retired oceanographer and past deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Environmental Research Laboratory in Seattle.

The gift reflects the Holbrooks’ lifelong commitment to higher education, the health sciences and global collaboration … and demonstrates their strong affection for UGA. The University of Georgia Foundation is providing an additional $250,000 for the distinguished professorship in recognition of Holbrook’s transformative tenure as provost at UGA and to honor her remarkable service record in higher education.

During Holbrook’s tenure as provost, she advocated for new programs in the biomedical and health sciences, which eventually led to the creation of the College of Public Health.

“The College of Public Health could not have originated when it did without the clear vision of Dr. Karen Holbrook, who recognized both a significant need for more public health professionals in Georgia and a way that UGA could contribute to the solution,” said Phillip L. Williams, dean of the college (pictured with Holbrook.) “Her decision now, 15 years later, with a different but equally clear and forceful vision for enhancing international research, will be just as significant as her earlier role.”

UGA Foundation Annual Report is published The 2015 UGA Foundation Annual Report went in the mail to more than 14,000 top donors on October 9, with an electronic version of the publication being sent to more than 100,000 the following week. If you have need of additional copies, we have a few remaining from the print run which we would be happy to share with you while supplies last. Please contact Chip Stewart (706) 542-4583 or chips@uga.edu.

DATES TO REMEMBER November 6-7, 2015

UGA Parents Leadership Council Meeting Reception Nov. 6 at UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital Business Meeting Nov. 7 at Correll Hall Pregame Tailgate at Miller Learning Center Colonnade Athens, GA

November 8, 2015

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra UGA Performing Arts Center 3:00 PM Athens, GA

November 26-27, 2015

Thanksgiving Holidays University of Georgia closed

December 18, 2015

Fall Commencement Stegeman Coliseum 9:30 AM Undergraduate Ceremony 2:30 PM Graduate Ceremony

December 25, 2015 January 1, 2016

Christmas - New Year’s Holidays University of Georgia closed

January 11, 2016

First day of Spring Semester

January 18, 2016

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday University of Georgia closed

January 20, 2016

State of the University Address President Jere W. Morehead University Chapel 3:30 PM Athens, GA

January 30, 2016

Bulldog 100 Celebration Atlanta Marriott Marquis 265 Peachtree Center Ave 6:00 PM Atlanta, GA

February 11, 2016

UGA Board of Visitors Winter Meeting Piedmont Driving Club 1215 Piedmont Ave NE 11:30 AM Atlanta, GA

February 25-26, 2016

UGA Foundation Winter Board Meeting Various Campus sites Athens, GA

February 26-27, 2016

Foundation Fellows Interview Weekend Various Campus sites Athens, GA

May 11, 2016

UGA Board of Visitors Spring Meeting Buckhead Club 3344 Peachtree Rd NE 11:30 AM Atlanta, GA

May 13, 2016

Spring Commencement Graduate Ceremony 10:00 AM – Stegeman Coliseum Undergraduate Ceremony 7:00 PM – Sanford Stadium

June 16-17, 2016

UGA Foundation Spring Meeting St. Simons Island, GA

University of Georgia Foundation 394 South Milledge Ave., Suite 100 Athens, Georgia 30602-5582 Telephone (706) 542-6677 www.ugafoundation.org