CHAIRMAN’S LETTER / WINTER 2014 Dear Friends… It has been an extremely exciting and eventful time since the last newsletter. The university completed another semester and sent more than 2,600 graduates into the world at December Commencement. And in November, we were treated to the investiture of our new president, Jere Morehead. I was honored to speak on behalf of the foundation at the ceremonies investing President Morehead and was delighted to see the enthusiasm that day in honoring a man who means so much to the university. A memo from President Morehead and a copy of his Investiture message are attached at the end of this newsletter. Since I last shared an update with you, I had the great pleasure to meet an outstanding young man who is the recipient of a University of Georgia Foundation Law School Scholarship. Carlos Alexander (at left in the photo) is a Juris Doctorate candidate, class of 2016, and fine example of “the best and the brightest” that study at UGA. I had a wonderful chat with Carlos and hope you will all have a chance to meet him at the reception planned by the Law School for the foundation during our February board meeting. That’s a nice lead in to let you know that our Winter 2014 board meeting is just around the corner; February 20 and 21 in Athens. Please make plans to join us. We have a very full agenda of committee meetings and the full board session. Two other reminders: 1) All trustees are cordially invited to participate in Foundation Fellows Interview Weekend which commences shortly after we conclude our full board session on Friday February 21 and runs through the following day. (More Information on interview weekend is in a story on page five of this newsletter.) 2) The next Board of Visitors meeting will be in Atlanta at the Commerce Club on February 6, 2014. The focus of this meeting will be on UGA’s economic development impact and will be timely and interesting. Here’s wishing you all the best for a happy and prosperous 2014! Sincerely,
John Spalding (AB ’82, JD ’85) Chairman
Trustee John Crawford IV: Setting a fine standard As trustees of the University of Georgia Foundation, we need to lead by example, and as such, we adopted a set of guidelines in 2012 that set expectations for annual giving, planned gifts and major/campaign gifts. I am pleased that we have had such a positive response from the board. Private support is critical to the university’s future and it is an area where we can make a real difference. I want to thank everyone on this board for the gifts they have made and are planning to make to the university ... and I was especially pleased to learn recently that John Crawford had made two significant commitments that I would like to highlight for you. As an avid supporter of UGA athletics, John recently established the Crawford Track & Field Scholarship in honor of his father John Crawford III, a 1962 graduate, who attended UGA on a track scholarship. John's service as a University of Georgia Foundation trustee has given him a deeper appreciation for the tremendous benefit private support offers and has helped him to recognize that estate gifts must be a big part of UGA’s future success. To that end, John recently chose to name the University of Georgia Foundation as a beneficiary of his retirement plan. It’s an idea we all may wish to consider. "The ease with which I could name UGA as a beneficiary and the tax efficiency this will afford my heirs, while supporting the institution means so much to me and my family," Crawford said. He elected to make the gift of his retirement plan for unrestricted purposes because he recognizes the importance this flexibility gives UGA.
John Crawford IV "It is important to support those things which align with our passions, but it is also critical to listen to our leaders and give them the opportunity to address those needs they see as most pressing," He added.
John's investment in UGA through current and planned gifts, along with his energy and wise advice to the UGA Foundation as a trustee, serve to fuel the legacy he is building—to make the University of Georgia better and stronger for the future. Thank you John for your leadership!
John Crawford IV is a 1988 graduate of the Terry College of Business where he earned a BBA in Finance. He holds a Master’s in Finance from Georgia State University. John has been a trustee of the UGA Foundation since 2010.
UGA Foundation is well Trustee Tim Keadle now part of represented in LaGrange Parade Terry College faculty Aside from his duties as president of the UGA Alumni Association, ex officio trustee of the foundation and co-founder of the Atlanta-based Porter Keadle Moore accounting firm, Tim Keadle (pictured below) has a new job; Terry College of Business faculty member.
There were familiar faces in the procession of cars, floats and marching bands at the LaGrange Holiday Parade when UGA Foundation Trustee and Costa Rica Corporation President Gail Hunnicutt and her husband Pat served as Grand Marshals.
Tim is putting his 35 years of real world experience to work teaching a graduate level class in accounting. The coursework focuses on research with an emphasis on issues commonly encountered by young auditors.
Photo courtesy of LaGrange News
The Hunnicutts have been heavily involved in LaGrange community and civic affairs for many years and their impact has been enormous.
“I have always enjoyed working with the young staff in our firm and staying close to the student environment at UGA,” he said. “Our accounting students at UGA are some of the top accounting graduates in the nation by any standard of measure; I hope to enhance their academic experience and bring energy and enthusiasm about a subject that I am passionate about to a university that I am intensely passionate about.”
Chamber of Commerce President Page Estes put it best when she told the LaGrange News, “If you want something done in LaGrange, you call the Hunnicutts — that’s one of the first things I was told when I moved to LaGrange many years ago. They epitomize the philosophy of servant leadership in our community.” We’re lucky that Gail brings the same energy and enthusiasm to the UGA Foundation!
Donor Profile: Kevin Marsh – A high-energy Georgia Bulldog One of the great names in the U.S. energy industry and the S&P 500 is SCANA Corporation, a leading provider of electricity and natural gas … and … one of the great names among UGA alumni is Kevin Marsh (below right) who is SCANA’s president, chairman and CEO. Marsh is a 1977 graduate of the Terry College of Business where he earned a BBA in accounting.
“My dad was Ralph Marsh, who was the Episcopal chaplain at the university from 1965 to 1996 … so I hung out at the Episcopal Center as a youngster and my brother and I did all the things preacher’s kids were supposed to do,” he said with a chuckle. “We had a lot of fun. “My claim to fame in those days was that I had a newspaper route and used to deliver Coach Dooley’s daily edition of the Athens Banner-Herald.”
“When I graduated from Georgia and entered the business world, I was overwhelmed at how well prepared I was,” Marsh said. “I was very grateful for the education I had received at the University of Georgia. “I feel like we have one of the nation’s best business schools,” he continued. “Because of my firsthand experience, I’ve always wanted to keep that tradition alive, so I’ve supported the Terry College and the J.M. Tull School of Accounting over the years. I want to help them continue producing excellent students.” SCANA is headquartered in the heart of South Carolina Gamecock country, and Columbia has been Marsh’s home since shortly after graduation. “It’s been a little rough being a Georgia Bulldog over here for the last few years,” he says with a laugh. “But, it’s gotten a lot easier since we beat the Gamecocks in September.” Marsh grew up in Athens where he met his wife Sue, who was also raised in the Classic City. She is a 1976 graduate of the UGA College of Education. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.
It was in those early days, managing his paper route, when the business bug bit and apparently bit hard judging from his career success. What is clear, is that from an enterprising childhood in Athens, to earning a degree at UGA, to leading a highly successful, multi-state energy company, Kevin Marsh is a success story who provides us with yet another Bulldog Point of Pride!
Interview Weekend set for February 21-22 If you haven’t had an opportunity to participate in Foundation Fellows Interview Weekend, I think you will find it to be a very rewarding experience. Scheduled for the Friday evening and Saturday immediately after our Winter board meeting, Interview Weekend will bring some of the nation’s most outstanding high school seniors to campus where they will compete for the university’s most prestigious scholarships. Interview Weekend includes participation in faculty-led seminars, social mixers with current and prospective fellows, and a round of interviews with foundation trustees, senior faculty and staff from admissions and student affairs. The finalists selected for Interview Weekend are the cream of a spectacular crop of young scholars and represent but a small fraction of up to 900 students who apply for the Foundation Fellowship each year.
University of Georgia places tenth in Kiplinger ranking I think we can all take great pride in the latest rankings published by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance showing the University of Georgia as America’s tenth best value in public education. That lofty status is five spots higher than 2012 and 23 spots ahead of the next highest ranked Georgia institution (Georgia Tech) in an annual evaluation of the nation’s 100 best values in public edcation. UGA was cited by Kiplinger for improved test scores and a more competitive admission rate. The publication lauded Georgia for one of the highest yields in its top 10, stating “Nearly half of students who earn acceptance letters choose to enroll and 94 percent stick around after the first year.”
Making the cut to be one of sixty or so finalists is in itself a major accomplishment. Earning designation as a finalist means every student invited to Interview Weekend is automatically offered a Ramsey Honors Scholarship, one of UGA’s top academic awards.
To determine the rankings, Kiplinger compiles data on nearly 600 public institutions and sorts the schools based on quality measures, such as the admission rate, the test scores of incoming freshmen and four- and six-year graduation rates. Kiplinger then adds cost data, which includes tuition, fees, room and board, and financial aid for in-state and out-of-state students, and re-ranks the institutions.
I know that by interacting with these exceptional young people you will see firsthand how your support of UGA is helping to enhance our standing as one of America’s best public institutions of higher education.
"The college landscape today is very different— tuition increases and student debt dominate the national conversation surrounding higher education," said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger's Personal Finance. "This year's top 100 schools have made admirable strides to maintain academic integrity and standards while meeting the financial needs of their students." If you are interested in reviewing the full rankings, you may do so by clicking here.
Investiture Address Jere W. Morehead nd 22 President of the University of Georgia November 19, 2013 Hodgson Hall, University of Georgia Thank you. Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you very much. Good morning. Thank you all for being here today. Governor Deal, Chancellor Huckaby, Chairman NeSmith, members of the Board of Regents, members of the platform party, Judge Carnes (my longtime close friend), Judge Jones, Speaker Ralston (my law school classmate and moot court partner from long ago), members of the General Assembly and state officials, Mayor Denson, local officials, Foundation trustees, members of the University Cabinet, deans, faculty, staff, students, my good friends and my family, which includes my mother, my brothers, my sisters-in-law and my nieces and nephew. Thank you for your support and thank you for being here today. I stand before you today equally humbled and excited about the role – indeed the honor -- that I have been given and which I have gladly accepted. But today’s ceremony is not about me personally. It is about the institution that I have been asked to lead. The University of Georgia has a hallowed and honorable history, yet I am certain its best days lie ahead. It has touched the lives of many thousands of persons – most importantly the students, but also faculty, staff and many more Georgians who, though not graduates, have nevertheless been impacted by its capacity to serve the State of Georgia over these many long years. Governor Deal and Chancellor Huckaby, thank you for your confidence in me and for your participation in this investiture ceremony. I will do my best to live up to your expectations by continuing to elevate the academic stature of the University 1
of Georgia as a world-class institution and to increase the support and service it provides to the citizens of Georgia. This is our unique calling as a land-grant university. I am honored today by the presence of my colleagues who serve as presidents of other institutions in Georgia. I pledge that the University of Georgia is committed to joining with you to apply the resources of this institution for the betterment of our state. We are stronger – and better – working together for the citizens of Georgia. My core belief about the University of Georgia is a simple one: What we do here matters. It is important, and it is not just important to the students and faculty and staff; it is important to the citizens of Georgia. It is important to my colleagues on the faculty, to the members of the Cabinet, to the deans, to the staff, to our alumni and to our students, who form the heart of this institution. We have the rare privilege of working on things that matter, work that makes the world a better place, work that resonates through the generations. We are bound by a solemn yet inspiring obligation, not to be taken lightly, whose responsibility is borne by all of us – staff, faculty and administrators. All of us have a stake in both what this university is today and what it will be in the future. Consider with me for a moment the founders of this state as they met in the late 1700s. Accepting the almost overwhelming task of creating a government where there had been none, they also formed the first state-chartered university in 1785. It was an extraordinary act of leadership and vision to understand the value that higher education – indeed, public higher education – held for the citizens of Georgia and the future of this state. A site was chosen that now is Athens and the institution was named Franklin College. The first class met on North Campus and set in motion the great university we know today – and the American system of public higher education.
2
Thus the identities and destinies of this state and this university are inextricably intertwined – that has always been and always will be the case. When we say “We are Georgia,” we mean both the university and the state. The compact the University has with the State means that we owe a debt of gratitude to our state leaders and to the people of Georgia. As a result, the University of Georgia now is widely recognized as one of America’s best public research universities. As an alumnus, I take great pride in that status; as president, I accept the responsibility to maintain and improve it. I believe all of us today are familiar with our many national rankings and how well we rank among the very best universities in the land. Such recognition is affirming. But rankings are not what is most important – rather, it is the actions we take on a daily basis that matter: the investment our citizens make in this University through the Governor, the Georgia General Assembly and the Board of Regents; the devotion and generosity of our alumni and supporters; and, most importantly, the hard work and dedication of our outstanding students, faculty and staff. We have come a long way. In my 27 years on this campus, I have watched this institution mature into a wonderfully complex and effective university that strives to serve the people of this state and beyond. So where will we go? What is next for the University of Georgia? The answers to those questions are, in large part, found in our Strategic Plan for the Year 2020, entitled “Building on Excellence,” which honors the grand history of this institution while setting it on a course for greatness not yet realized. It defines the world that the University inhabits both today and in the future – a world which not only rewards but requires interdisciplinary, collaborative, inclusive thinking and action. Our faculty and their research will need to cross disciplinary lines, departmental lines, institutional lines and state and national borders to solve the problems of this state, the region, the nation and the world.
3
Of course, we face challenges in accomplishing these goals, primarily the new financial reality for public higher education. This “new normal” requires us to be more prudent and careful with our resources, and I pledge that the University will spend carefully and wisely and thoughtfully and allocate its resources strategically to support the core academic mission of this university, which has guided it for more than two centuries. Our strategic plan envisions a University that builds on and enhances the nationally recognized strength in the undergraduate experience here and uses it as a model for a stronger, better and larger graduate and professional program development. If we are to become one of the greatest research universities in this country, we must grow the quality and size of our graduate and professional educational programs. This goal will align us with the important objective of producing an increasingly well educated workforce to solve our state’s problems and improve the lives of our citizens. The plan envisions a university that continues to invest in established areas of research excellence while taking deliberate and intentional action to build on our strength in emerging areas that address critical needs, such as public health and engineering. Our strategic plan calls on us to serve the citizens of this great state of Georgia by responding to our most pressing issues. There is none more important than creating knowledge, jobs and prosperity. The Governor has made this a priority, and I have directed resources toward having a greater role in the state’s economic development. I am inspired by looking toward our future, ambitious as it may be. But this is an ambitious place. Our founding as the first state-chartered university was ambitious and today we are recognized as a leader among many across this great nation. We are called to aspire to greatness. We are called to lead. We are called to improve lives. We are called to transformational action. How, then, do we best serve Georgia? 4
We serve Georgia first and best by building here a world-class university – a university whose faculty are internationally renowned; a university whose students are competitive with those at any other leading university in this country; a university whose staff are exceptional in the important role of supporting the core academic function. Georgia deserves no less; in fact, Georgia demands precisely this from us. Such a world-class university is the most powerful way in which we serve Georgia today and for the long-term future. We serve Georgia by offering to the state’s best students an excellent and complete educational experience. Students are and will remain my first priority, and everything we do should accrue to the benefit of our students. Georgia and the nation send to us their very best young men and women who join here students from around the world to advance their education and augment their quest for knowledge. We are obligated to provide for them in our classrooms, laboratories, academic programs, student life and intercollegiate athletics a full and complete education that matches, if not exceeds, their expectations. We must provide for our students a full and broad learning experience in a welcoming campus community which recognizes that no person is truly educated without an understanding of and appreciation for the rich diversity of human culture and experience. We remain committed to the preparation of the next generation of leaders who understand the complex international environment in which we live and work. Since 1993 and the advent of the HOPE Scholarship, University of Georgia Honors students have won eight Rhodes Scholarships (and four in the past six years); 12 Truman Scholarships; five Marshall Scholarships; and 44 Goldwater Scholarships. We are privileged here to work with some very bright, very talented and very committed young people, who make a difference in the world when they leave this campus. We also serve Georgia through the quality of the faculty who teach and mentor our students; who conduct research addressing the full range of human needs and 5
challenges; and who serve the state, nation and world in the true spirit of the landgrant institution. Great faculty make a great university – and we have many great faculty members here at the University of Georgia. I have long considered it an honor to count myself among the faculty at the University of Georgia, and I know the faculty remain committed to the success of this institution now and in the future. We must ensure that the faculty have the encouragement and support they need to succeed with the important work that they do every day. We also serve Georgia through our research. It is in the process of academic exploration, of asking questions and seeking answers, that the collective intellect of this institution is brought to bear on the grand challenges facing this state, nation and world. Through the many federal, state and foundation grants earned by our faculty, this university has shown itself to be a leader in the nation’s most important research agendas, from developing biofuels to combatting infectious diseases. Moreover, the university builds a better Georgia through research activities that support the state’s economic development activities, because a strong and vibrant Georgia economy is essential to the future of this university, just as a strong University of Georgia is important to the future growth and development of the state’s economy and citizens. But the research mission at the University of Georgia touches the lives of Georgians in many other ways. It touches lives through the development of improved agricultural techniques and through cleaner water and air. It touches lives in the development of new pharmaceutical products; in the improvement of veterinary medicine; and in addressing public health challenges. It touches lives through advancements in K-12 education, the social sciences and law, and it also improves lives through the arts and humanities, those areas that bolster the quality of life for us. Research at the University of Georgia makes life better for Georgians and for the world. 6
We also serve Georgia through our calling as a land-grant institution, envisioned by the Morrill Act of 1862 and designated in 1872 to be intentional and deliberate about service to the state that we call home. At the University of Georgia, we see education as a critical component of a brighter future for this state. We believe that higher education is a public good and that one role of the flagship institution is to serve the state by boosting educational opportunity. In the words of John Adams, there are two equally important types of education -one to teach us how to make a living and the other how to live. The University of Georgia has a strong tradition of service from Public Service and Outreach to Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Cooperative Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences, Law, Public Health, Social Work, the Medical Partnership, Engineering and much more. Our challenge is to ensure that the expertise and resources of this institution are effectively applied to our most pressing needs. It is as simple as this: The University of Georgia does not exist only in Athens and Griffin and Tifton and Gwinnett, where we have campuses and buildings and faculty and staff and students. The University of Georgia exists in every county, in every city and in every community in this state. It exists in more than 283,000 living alumni across the state and around the world. Our responsibility is to all of Georgia. Of course, these initiatives and this vision for the University of Georgia require resources and the careful and strategic application of those resources. The state of Georgia has traditionally been quite generous to higher education, and remains so today. But if we are to meet the goals of the University of Georgia and serve at the heights to which we aspire, we will need levels of private support from our alumni and friends greater than we have ever seen before. 7
We will announce in the future the details of a major campaign for the University of Georgia, a comprehensive fundraising effort to secure the funding required to meet these goals. The target will be higher than we have ever set before, but I am convinced that we will be successful. We will be successful because, as I have learned in my 27 years here and reaffirmed in my 141 days as President, the citizens of Georgia and the alumni who have walked beneath the Arch love the University of Georgia. They care, and care deeply, about the University of Georgia. They are passionate about the University; feel a sense of ownership and pride about the University; and, most importantly, they want the University of Georgia to be extraordinary. As do I. A small college, established along the banks of the Oconee River, has surely taken root and is today one of America’s pre-eminent public research universities. These roots have grown deep into this Georgia red clay, and have also become rooted in our state’s heart and soul. We are called to make Georgia, the nation and, indeed, the world better and stronger by every measure. That sets us apart as the flagship institution and should serve as a reminder of what our very existence means. As your President, I embrace this vital and important mission. It is our calling, it is our history, it is our tradition, but more importantly, it is our calling for today and toward the future. I am inspired by that calling, challenged by it and motivated by it every day. I am honored to serve with you as we work together in this noble cause. Thank you very much.
8
Dates to remember January 25, 2014:
UGA Alumni Association Bulldog 100 Awards Celebration Marriott Marquis Atlanta, GA 6:00 PM Reception, 7:00 PM Dinner
February 6, 2014:
UGA Board of Visitors meeting Topic: Economic Development th Commerce Club – 49 Floor, 191 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA
February 20-21, 2014:
UGA Foundation Board meeting Various campus sites in Athens
February 21-22, 2014:
Foundation Fellows interview weekend Various campus sites in Athens
May 1, 2014:
UGA Board of Visitors meeting Atlanta – Site TBD 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
May 9, 2014:
Spring semester commencement Graduate ceremony – 10:00 AM Stegeman Coliseum Undergraduate ceremony – 7:00 PM Sanford Stadium (rain or shine)
June 19-20, 2014:
UGA Foundation spring/summer board meeting St. Simons Island, Georgia
August 1, 2014:
Summer Semester Commencement Stegeman Coliseum 9:30 AM
University of Georgia Foundation 394 South Milledge Ave., Suite 100 Athens, Georgia 30602-5582 Telephone (706) 542-6677 www.ugafoundation.org