As a community-minded, partnership-oriented institution, UHCL continually strives to build and broaden relationships that advance the university's mission.
In an effort to discover, renew and expand these relationships, the university has established the President's Community Partners for Advancement. The team, comprising seven prominent community members, will help identify funding prospects, open doors within the community and secure funding requests.
"The President's Community Partners for Advancement is a group of
well-respected co
mmunity leaders who will assist UHCL in connecting
to individuals, corporations and foundations to enhance our partnerships
and expand our resources," says UHCL President William A. Staples.
"Their long-term commitment to and support of the university are recognized
throughout the community."
This additional support is timely as UHCL stands at an important juncture with regard to its advancement efforts. Within three years, the university hopes to increase endowment contributions by $5 million, fulfill 30 percent of the naming opportunities in the new student services and classroom building, garner the university's first
$1 million individual donor, develop six articulated university-company partnerships, increase the President's Cabinet to 130 donors while promoting the President's Inner Circle, and complete at least 10 renovations or upgrades in existing UHCL buildings as naming opportunities.
"Having more people involved in the process in a peer-to-peer approach allows us to get closer to the university's potential for fund raising," says Associate Vice President for University Advancement Dion McInnis. "Work like this takes the time, commitment and connections only a group like the President's Community Partners for Advancement can offer."
Members of the group will serve two-year terms. Eighteen months into
each term, members will make recommendations for the subsequent two-year
cohort.
The inaugural President's Community Partners for Advancement team includes:
(standing, top, l to r) UHCL Distinguished Alumnus Steve Phelps, commissioner,
Port of Houston Authority; UHCL Distinguished Alumna Dawn Korman, attorney;
(seated, top) Dick Gregg Jr., president, Gregg & Gregg PC; (standing,
bottom, l to r) Bill Chen, president, Coldwell Banker-Pennington Chen; UHCL
Distinguished Alumna Sandy Johnson, president, Barrios Technology Inc.;
(seated, bottom) UHCL Distinguished Alumnus Micheal Reeves, senior vice
president, Aerospace Operations, Critique Inc.; and (not pictured) UHCL
Distinguished Alumna Kathy Tamer, vice president and chief information officer,
United Space Alliance.
UHCL's Discovering Opportunities initiative, made possible by Houston Endowment Inc., ends March 31, 2003. Through this program, gifts designated for endowment may be matched dollar-for-dollar if received prior to the deadline. Contributions in support of scholarship endowments will benefit students struggling to reach their educational goals.
To learn more about Discovering Opportunities, contact Dion McInnis, associate vice president for university advancement, 281-283-2021 ormcinnis@cl.uh.edu.
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