The University
of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will launch the first comprehensive capital campaign
in its 122-year history with an evening gala Saturday, April 30.
The
event launches the campaign’s public phase. Friends
and alumni may register at https://give.uwsp.edu/gala.
The
campaign will be headed by an alumnus and president of the UW-Stevens Point
Foundation Board. Lon Roberts, Wisconsin’s Secretary of the Department of
Financial Institutions, is a 1970 graduate of UW-Stevens Point. He has served
with the Ruder Ware law firm in Wausau for 43 years, and as its president for
11 years. He is also the former chair of the State of Wisconsin Investment
Board.
Roberts
and his wife, Mary, also a UW System graduate, are strong advocates of higher
education and are committed to numerous philanthropic activities throughout
Central Wisconsin.
“We
could not be more pleased to do something that we believe will help ensure
UW-Stevens Point will remain a strong, vibrant partner for all of Central
Wisconsin and our entire home state, educating students whose impact on the
world will start right here,” said Roberts. “We know that any success
we’ve had in our lives traces right back to the university. So it was an easy
decision to give back by chairing the campaign.”
“Having someone of Lon’s stature, integrity, and professional
accomplishments heading our first comprehensive campaign is a tremendous
asset,” said Chancellor
Bernie Patterson. “He and Mary have been leaders in
Central Wisconsin for years. It’s natural that they would step up to this
challenge. They have demonstrated their commitment to UW-Stevens Point as few
have.”
A key
component in Patterson’s plans for ensuring the future of UW-Stevens Point, the
campaign has been in a quiet phase since July 1, 2013.
During that time, a series of leadership gifts have been made including the
establishment of the first four endowed chairs in university history: two in
the College of Natural Resources and one each for the College of Professional
Studies and the College of Letters and Science.
Patterson said the campaign is seeking partners who wish to
connect their philanthropic passions with the university’s strategic
objectives, creating scholarship endowments, initiatives for new programs and
support for existing endeavors. The goal is to bolster student success while
helping UW-Stevens Point remain a regional asset that promotes thriving
communities throughout the area.
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