2022-2023 Foundation Annual Report

Thank You

With the help of our loyal contributors, the University of West Florida has brought successes that were once just a dream to fruition. Because of you, we are able to attract world-class faculty and staff, develop robust, high-impact educational programs, support ground-breaking, student-led research and create workforce pipelines in critical-need industries. Your deep connection to UWF ensures a transformative education for our students and a prosperous future for our community.

Thank you for supporting our mission, sharing our passion and entrusting us with your gifts.

here is a buzz about the University of West Florida and the exciting ways we are bringing together innovation and discovery for our students and the world. Your generosity makes it possible.

This means a brilliant engineering student can get one semester closer to her dreams because your scholarship gift paid for her textbooks when she could not. It means a future healthcare professional will learn about patient care in exhilarating new ways because your contribution funded the technology. Your support means a “build it and they will come” commitment to the on-campus student experience. We did, and they did too.

The 105 gifts of more than $10,000 each bestowed in the past year contribute to exciting and inspirational initiatives that are uniquely UWF with impacts for generations to come.

Thank you for believing in UWF and being an important part of the buzz.

Sincerely yours,

Message from the President

Martha D. Saunders University of West Florida President

Message from the Vice President

Investing in sustained growth and excellence at the University of West Florida is critical to successfully achieving our mission. Your ongoing contributions fuel our collective efforts and ensure we deliver results.

During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, we received generous gifts from alumni, supporters and fans and shattered fundraising records. We garnered the most alumni donors in a single year, the most donors to Argonaut Athletics in one year, the highest number of major gifts, the most faculty and staff donors, and the most donors for our fifth annual Day of Giving event. Great philanthropy requires vision. Your generosity creates ripples on our campus, in the communities we serve and in the lives of future generations. Thank you for your ongoing support of the University of West Florida.

Sincerely,

Howard J. Reddy Vice President of University Advancement

Tyler Norwood Legacy

WIDOW OF TYLER NORWOOD ’15

LEAVES LASTING LEGACY FOR ALUMNUS WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT STUDENTS

By Allison Morgan

Tyler Norwood had just launched a promising career in construction management when his life was tragically cut short in 2018. Though he could not live out his dream of growing his construction management company, he is still helping Argo alumni in the construction management program achieve theirs.

Norwood graduated from UWF in 2015 with a degree in building construction while working full-time at Green-Simmons Company as a project manager. In 2017, he went to work with his family at Norwood Stucco and while helping his family business grow, he and his cousin Blake Norwood opened up their own general construction business, Evan Chase Construction. Just a year later, Tyler lost his life during a boating accident in Louisiana.

Following his death, his widow, Kathleen Norwood ’20, was determined to continue his legacy by naming the UWF Construction Management Program after him. With the

help of family and friends, including Tyler’s uncle and aunt, Randy and Stacy Norwood, the funds were raised in two years. On what would have been Tyler’s 32nd birthday on February 3, 2023, others’ generous gifts became his birthday gift when $250,000 was raised to name the Tyler Chase Norwood Construction Management Program. The contributions expand funding available through the existing Tyler Chase Norwood Construction Management Scholarship Endowment established by Randy and Stacy Norwood in 2020.

“Our family is grateful for every single person and business who supported the endowment through their generous donations,” said Kathleen Norwood. “It just goes to show how big of an impact Tyler had on this world in his 27 years of life. He would be so proud that we are helping the next generation of

construction management leaders pursue their education at UWF and achieve their professional goals.”

The UWF Board of Trustees approved naming the undergraduate program during its March 2023 meeting. The gifts will provide financial assistance to students for many years to come.

“Tyler had a real passion for the construction industry and the construction program at UWF,” said Stacy Norwood. “I am so proud that his legacy will live on through this endowment and its ability to help other construction management students reach their goals. I want to thank all the

individuals and businesses who stepped up and donated to make this a reality. I am honored to play a part in bringing this effort to fruition for him.”

Tyler had a lasting impact on many of his professors because of his work ethic, passion and intelligence. Following graduation, he supported UWF’s construction management program by serving on its advisory council and mentoring the program’s students. He was the youngest to serve on the council.

“He stood out immediately, partly because of his size, but also because of what he gave to his coursework and his classmates, his work ethic, his seriousness, his drive,” said Dr. Aneurin “Nye” Grant, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “He gave everything he had with every assignment. He pushed me as a professor.”

Tyler’s family hopes to grow the endowment each year and provide more scholarship support to the students in the program.

“Tyler would be so proud that we are helping the next generation of construction management leaders pursue their education at UWF and achieve their professional goals.”

Kathleen Norwood ’20, widow of Tyler Norwood ’15

Students in the construction management program pose at a construction management career fair.

Tim Kinsella, executive director of UWF’s Center for Leadership, poses in UWF’s College of Business. Kinsella was appointed to the position in March 2022.

Uncommon Leadership

AYLSTOCK, WITKIN, KREIS & OVERHOLTZ GIFT BUILDS LEADERS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW

By Stephanie Yancey ’96

When the University of West Florida’s Center for Leadership was established in Spring 2022, executive director

Tim Kinsella was inspired to create a thoughtfully and strategically designed program. Top on his priority list was finding a corporate partner for the center. Kinsella knew just where to start.

Kinsella and College of Business Dean

Richard Fountain approached Justin

Witkin of Florida-based law firm Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz about partnering with UWF to support the vision for the ground-breaking center. They were relieved and elated to find like-minded leaders in founding partners Witkin and Bryan Aylstock.

“Justin immediately got it. Our vision aligned with their firm’s vision of leadership,” Kinsella said. “I knew I wanted to partner with these folks because they will stand shoulder-toshoulder with us along the journey. They didn’t just want to write a check. They really believe in what we’re doing and want to help us grow.”

That meeting led to a $2.5 million gift in Fall 2022 to name the Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz Center for Leadership and enhance its initiatives.

“Their extremely generous gift means a lot more to us than just the dollar amount,” Kinsella said. “They share our commitment to educating ethical and principled leaders dedicated to making a positive difference in our community and the modern world.”

The AWKO Center for Leadership has quickly become the premier leadership education resource in the Southeast for executive and developing leaders across the business, government and public spectrum. It also supports the mission of the College of Business by providing learning experiences to undergraduate and graduate business students and to the business community at large.

“The importance of strong leadership in the civic setting — in schools, local government and other institutions — as well as in private sector businesses, has

never been greater,” Witkin said. “We could not be more excited about what the Center for Leadership is doing to develop leaders and what those leaders, in turn, will do for Pensacola and all of Northwest Florida.”

The firm’s generous gift supports two of the center’s flagship programs.

The Executive Master of Business Administration: Leadership Practice and Purpose, launched in August 2023, is an 18-month, online program designed for professionals with significant work experience. It helps executives gain a deeper understanding of the importance of leadership in business and how they can be agents of positive change in their organizations and communities. The Executive Leadership Development seminars provide high-impact experiences where participants push the boundaries of their current understanding of themselves and the effect they can have on their organizations. The center also promotes leadership opportunities and resources to students and the public that contribute to the growth of leaders in Northwest Florida.

“The AWKO gift has allowed us to be very entrepreneurial in how we planned for the future of the center,” Kinsella said. “Our programs unlock the leadership potential within executives and our students. We challenge their paradigms of the type of leader they think they are and teach them how to strategically think about the type of leader they want to be.”

This sentiment is shared by the AWKO team. “Northwest Florida needs strong leaders and we know the center is helping to ensure that the best and brightest can develop and utilize those much needed skills right here in Pensacola and beyond,” Aylstock said. “It is our strong belief that our entire community is better as a result.”

“The importance of strong leadership in the civic setting — in schools, local government and other institutions — as well as in private sector businesses, has never been greater.”

Justin Witkin, Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz

UWF leaders and representatives from Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis and Overholtz celebrate a new era in leadership education.

Be a part of something bigger.

This spring, the University of West Florida will be announcing something big.

This will be a proclamation and promise – to expand the passion of our people and unleash the best of UWF. Your support and spirit have gotten us to where we are today.

Will you join us in the next part of our journey?

SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 18, 2024

Join us for Day of Giving 2024 as we jumpstart a movement and aim to raise the most money for our students, our campus and our community.

Head to dayofgiving.uwf.edu to learn more.

Opportunities Endless

PROVIDING EVERLASTING POSSIBILITIES THROUGH THE GIFT OF EDUCATION

Gifts to UWF provide more than education — they provide opportunities for students to succeed in their own unique ways. This timeline reflects the influence our donors’ gifts have made.

August 2022

$100,000

The Brown’s generous gift made to the UWF Historic Trust will support the mission of the organization in preserving, interpreting and sharing Northwest Florida history.

August 2022

Ted & Kathy Brown

Bill Greenhut $50,000

This gift established the Bill and Connie Greenhut Scholarship Endowment to support UWF students as they finish their degrees.

September 2022

Drs. Muhammad and Fatema Rashid

$850,000

Muhammad and Fatema’s generous gift created the newly named Dr. Muhammad Harunur Rashid Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UWF.

October 2022

Foo Foo Fest

$55,500

UWF received the Foo Foo grant to produce “The Songs, Their Stories, a Symphony.”

October 2022

$72,398

NextEra supported various initiatives at UWF this year including Take Stock Collegiate Scholars, the Best Robotics competition and the UWF Department of Biology.

NextEra Energy Foundation Inc.

Pensacola Children’s Museum Donors

$110,000

Donations made from Escambia County Medical Society Foundation, Studer Family Children’s Hospital, Pensacola Pediatrics and Touchstone Medical Imaging will support the newest interactive medical exhibit at the Pensacola Children’s Museum.

November 2022

November 2022

Music

$75,000

Through a benefit concert in the fall, money was raised to support the Larry Butler Memorial Music Scholarship Fund.

December 2022

December 2022

Frank Brown International Foundation for

Bear Family Foundation

$103,820

This gift was made to fund the renovation and enhancement of the Pensacola Museum of Art Sculpture Garden and Main Street entry.

February 2023

Baptist Health Care

Baptist Health Care continued its ongoing support of the University by funding the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Partnership with the School of Nursing and continuing its support of UWF Athletics.

January 2023

Anonymous

$50,000

This gift, made in honor of Jack McCombs, supports the construction and expansion of the Sandy Sansing Sports Medicine Center.

Anonymous

$300,000

A generous $300,000 gift was made by an anonymous donor to provide administrative and operational funding for the Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz Center for Leadership.

$50,000

This gift was made to UWF Center for Cybersecurity to support the center’s continued efforts in workforce development programs.

$1,389,865

A generous gift was made to the Luna Archaeology Fund as part of the estate of Barbara Goggins.

April 2023

$30,000

This gift was made in honor of Ed Leigh McMillan II and Robert C. McMillan, funding the preservation and canopy of the train engine at the UWF Historic Trust.

$45,000

Wells Fargo Foundation continued its support of the Small Business Development Center at UWF.

Booz Allen Hamilton

Elvira Mannelly

Estate of Barbara Goggins

Wells Fargo Foundation

Satori Foundation and John Merting

$35,000

This gift was made to support students seeking prestigious fellowship opportunities.

Pledges and Recurring Gifts

Thank you to the following individuals who continued to support the University of West Florida through their ongoing pledge payments and recurring annual gifts during this fiscal year:

Michael Brunson

$25,000

Charlie Switzer

June 2023

Santa Rosa Medical Center

$37,800

June 2023

$30,000

Dr. Usha Kundu and Dave Kundu

$260,000

The Kugelman Family Foundation

$60,000

PenAir Credit Union $128,000

Bob Kimball

$100,000

Darrell Gooden

$400,000

The Sansing Foundation

$20,000

Fiesta of Five Flags Foundation

$10,000

This generous gift will provide funding for the LINE Partnership with UWF.

Student Spotlight Sabrina Gordon

“Thanks to my scholarship, I have been able to go to school without the financial stress of textbooks and supplies weighing me down. I hope to teach in a local elementary school after I graduate with my elementary education degree. Thank you for giving students like me the opportunity to focus on our futures, with less worry about how to get through the present.”

Sabrina Gordon ’23 Pickens Foundation For Education Scholarship

Maygarden Gift

GIFT REFLECTS GRATEFUL HEART OF EXTRAORDINARY ALUMNUS

By Stephanie Yancey ’96

The Honorable Jerry Maygarden has been a long-time familiar and friendly face around the University of West Florida’s Pensacola campus.

Some know him from his days as a UWF student and Student Government Association president. Others for his years as a public servant who helped secure funding for the UWF Aquatic Center, lobbied for the creation of the Health, Leisure, and Sports Facility and had a hand in the purchase of 600 acres that expanded the campus by 60%. He is also well known as a UWF Foundation Fellow and for his service on the University’s Business Enterprise Inc. board of directors.

In recent years, Maygarden and his wife Rhonda are perhaps best known for their generosity to the University. In 2019, they established the Maygarden Family Scholarship Endowment to support undergraduate students majoring in communication, and last fall, their additional $250,000 gift expanded those scholarship offerings and led to the naming of the Jerry Louis Maygarden Undergraduate Communication Program. Communication students who graduate and decide to pursue a master’s degree in strategic communication and

leadership at UWF are also eligible for additional support for their first year in the graduate program.

“The Maygardens are ardent supporters of UWF, and this gift is a wonderful example of their continued commitment to the University,” said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. “We look forward to the impact this gift will make on the next generation of communication professionals.”

Maygarden is a retired healthcare and business leader with a long and distinguished career in public service including having served as a Majority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives and locally as mayor of Pensacola. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in communication arts from UWF and was awarded an

Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by UWF in 2013.

“While the Department of Communication currently names several Maygarden Scholars each year, this generous gift assists even more students on the path to success,” said Dr. Amy Mitchell-Cook, interim dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

Maygarden sees the gift as a way to give back to the University that is such a source of pride for him and the community.

“The faculty in the Department of Communication made a huge contribution to my career, and we are excited about helping them to do the same for another generation of servant leaders,” Maygarden said.

“While the Department of Communication currently names several Maygarden Scholars each year, this generous gift assists even more students on the path to success.”

Dr. Amy Mitchell-Cook, interim dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities

UWF’s Sword and Shield Council

SUPPORTING UWF ATHLETICS

THROUGH TALENT, VISION AND GENEROSITY

By Stephanie Yancey ’96

For University of West Florida Argonauts, the sword and shield symbolize honor, confidence, reach, trust and security. All are qualities guiding the spirit of UWF’s Sword and Shield Council and embodied by its members.

Established in 2011, the Sword and Shield Council was created to connect our most loyal donors to UWF athletics and the University, increasing the opportunity for meaningful interactions and two-way communication.

Today, the Sword and Shield Council is recognized as an elite advisory committee focused on helping to guide and assist University and athletic leadership as they

Members of UWF’s Sword and Shield Council receive recognition at a UWF football game.

plan for the future of UWF athletics. This group of individuals are among the University’s most loyal supporters and have demonstrated commitment to athletics and student-athletes by generously sharing their talents, vision and significant financial support.

Far more than generosity lies behind council members Joe Ambersley, Dick Appleyard, Dr. Judy Bense, Terry Berling, Darrell Gooden, Erik Nickelsen, Dr. Tony Pelezo, Sandy Sansing, Gordon Sprague, Rodney Sutton and John Switzer. There is also experience, vision and wisdom.

“Council members have been successful in their business lives and they genuinely care about not just athletics, but about UWF as an important part of the community and the state,” Ambersley said. “They aren’t in it for the glory. They

have a tremendous amount of heart for students and the University.”

The council has an ongoing voice in discussions about facility growth, plans for the future and the Athletics visioning process. It was also a key contributor in the decision to add football at UWF,

enhancing the on-campus experience for students, faculty, staff and visitors and increasing the visibility of the University in the region.

Ambersley said the council is currently focused on UWF Athletics being the best Division II program in the country and is ensuring infrastructure and scholarships are in place to make that happen.

“One of the things we’re most proud of is how well our student-athletes do in the classroom. Their high GPAs are evidence of that.”

Ambersley said donating to the University is not simply a responsibility for those with a lot to give. “No matter what success you’re having now, it’s important to give something back to UWF. People who can give a large amount of money are in limited supply. Giving has to start somewhere, and most everyone can give something.”

The Sword and Shield Council was a key contributor in the decision to bring football to UWF.

“Council members have been successful in their business lives and they genuinely care about not just athletics, but about UWF as an important part of the community and the state.”

Joe Ambersley, Sword and Shield Council member

Financial Information

UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA FOUNDATION

The UWF Foundation exists to encourage, manage and administer private resources to support the mission and priorities of the University of West Florida, as established by the Board of Trustees and the president of the University of West Florida. The Foundation is dedicated to assisting the University through building the donor and board restricted endowments, currently valued at $93.9 million. Through private financial support, Foundation resources support long-term academic and other priorities of the University, provide opportunities for students and afford a margin of institutional excellence unavailable with state funds.

Investment Philosophy — Asset Allocation and Style Diversification

Research suggests that the decision to allocate total assets among various asset classes will far outweigh security selection and other decisions that impact portfolio performance. The Investment Committee recognizes the strategic importance of asset allocation and style diversification in the investment performance of the assets over long periods of time. Domestic and international equities, both large and small capitalization, fixed income, cash equivalent

securities, real estate, private equity, and fund of funds hedge funds in the form of diversified fund of funds have been determined to be acceptable vehicles for these assets. Additional asset classes and style strategies may be incorporated into the investment philosophy in the future.

Investment Objective

The objectives of the assets are the enhancement of capital and real purchasing power while limiting exposure to risk of loss. Real purchasing power or real rate of return will be defined as returns in excess of inflation as defined by the Consumer Price Index. At a minimum, long-term rates of return should be equal to an amount sufficient to maintain the purchasing power of these assets and provide necessary capital to fund the Foundation’s spending policy. As such, the desired minimum rate of return is equal to the CPI plus 400 basis points (4%) for spending, plus an additional 200 basis point (2%) on an annualized basis. Bottom line, the overall minimum rate of return is equal to CPI plus 600 basis points (6%).

In light of this return requirement, the portfolio should be constructed using a total return approach with a significant portion of the funds invested to seek growth of principal over time. The assets are to be invested for the long term, and

a higher short-term volatility in these assets is to be expected and accepted.

Spending Policy

The Foundation takes seriously its responsibility to provide prudent fiduciary management, oversight of the endowments and intergenerational equity. To this end, the Foundation utilizes a one-year waiting period before awarding spending and a stepdown spending allocation method should an endowment fall underwater. Through utilization of a well diversified investment portfolio strategy, prudent spending allocation policy, and the best good faith effort of its board members, the Foundation attempts to continue to provide spending to support the scholarships, programs and faculty as designated by the donor while preserving over time the donor’s gifts to the endowment corpus. Further details on the investment policy are available at the Foundation’s website uwf.edu/foundation.

The UWF Foundation was organized and incorporated in 1965 for the purpose of stimulating voluntary private support from alumni, parents, friends, corporations, foundations and others for the benefit of the University of West Florida.

UWF Foundation

Board of Directors 2022-2023

Gerald Adcox ’77

** Richard “Dick” Baker BOT Representative

Connie Bookman

Charles “Rick” Byars

**Jason D. Crawford ’04, ’10

Immediate Past Chair

**Dr. Matthew Crow Faculty Senate VP

DeeDee Davis

Megan Fry Secretary

Darrell Gooden ’73

John Gormley ’96, ’98

Caryl Greene

Amber Griffith ’03, ’05

Chad Henderson

James Hosman ’99, ’01 Board Chair

Kathie Jeffcoat

H. Britt Landrum III

Louis A. “Trip” Maygarden III

John Peacock Jr.

Hong Potomski ’07

**Brooke Proffitt Student Government Assoc. VP

William Rone ’73, ’78

Chris Roney ’98

**Dr. Martha D. Saunders University President

Kathy Sandstrom ’96

**Nicole Stacey ’09, ’10

UWF Alumni Board President

Rodney Sutton ’91 Treasurer

Bruce Vredenburg Vice Chair

Cyndi Warren

** Ex-Officio Voting Member

Donor Bill of Rights

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

1. To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.

2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.

3. To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.

4. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

5. To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.

6. To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.

8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.

9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.

10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

The text of the above statement in its entirety was developed by the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and adopted in November 1993.