Y N CSU ORTLAND 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Cortland College Foundation who returned to campus from her residence So, Lynne contacted the Alumni Affairs in Portland, Ore., for Alumni Reunion Office seeking the names and addresses of Weekend in July. “It’s because of the values her Class of 1968 sorority sisters. She and I learned at the College and the opportunity Diane wrote personal letters and sent infor- One in a Million to get a good job after college.” mation packets to each of them. She joined nearly 70 Nu Sigma Chi sisters “We had 17 or 18 sisters come back,” ecoming the College’s first- at the newly named Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY said Lynne. “The next step was keeping in ever individual $1 million Cortland Alumni House for the sorority’s touch. We decided after 10 years that we donor this summer was a 80th anniversary during reunion weekend. would meet again for our 35th reunion.” labor of love for Lynne Parks The College’s oldest sorority, Nu Sigma In October 2003, Nu Sigma Chi alumnae Hoffman ’68. Chi had been the catalyst behind Lynne met in Hyde Park, N.Y., where they dined in BHer generous offer, which will support reconnecting with SUNY Cortland 15 years a private room at the Culinary Institute of the College’s alumni house, allowed Lynne earlier. America and toured the Franklin D. Roosevelt the opportunity to celebrate some of the “I had not been back to the College homestead mansion and grounds. most cherished people in her life — her since I graduated in 1968,” explained Lynne. “We had a great time and a fabulous Nu Sigma Chi sorority sisters and her late “The year before my 25th reunion in 1993, turnout,” recalled Lynne. “That was the husband Jack Hoffman — while paying Diane McKinnon ’68, my college roommate same year I learned about the new Alumni tribute to her alma mater. all four years, and I decided we wanted to House in Columns. I’d never seen the house, “I am what I am today because of attend the reunion and to see our sorority Cortland and Nu Sigma Chi,” said Lynne, sisters.” Continued on page 12 Alumni Affairs Office Affairs Alumni n Permit #57 Permit Cortland, NY 13045-0900 NY Cortland, Utica NY 13504 NY Utica P.O. Box 2000 Box P.O. PAID US Postage US Non-Profit Organization Non-Profit 2 SUNY Cortland Annual Report 2007-2008 Maintaining the Cortland Pride By Victor M. Rumore II ’84 A few years ago, our the College’s first million-dollar gift from an individual, Chairman, Cortland College Foundation Raquette Lake facility Lynne Parks Hoffman ’68. The Alumni Association ince 1999, I have had the privilege of serving became the first and, Board of Directors honored Lynne’s extraordinary as the Cortland College Foundation Board of to date, only National generosity by naming its elegant and historic mansion Directors chairman. Now, as I complete my Historic Landmark in in her name. final term, I reflect on my tenure with a great the State University of This past year, reunion giving hit another all-time Sdeal of pride and a real sense of accomplishment. New York. high with $539,000, while the bold goal of the Class of As an alumnus of the College, I truly feel honored The dramatic changes 1962 to raise $1 million dollars before its 50th reunion to have been able to give back to my alma mater in will continue on campus in 2012 is well on its way. Overall, nearly 6,000 of you such a meaningful and fulfilling manner. My responsi- in the next few years with contributed to the overall success of the foundation’s bilities have allowed me to meet many SUNY Cortland major improvements to fundraising efforts this year that supported 17 new alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students of the Victor M. Rumore II ’84 Bowers Hall and Studio endowments, while increasing support for everything College. At the same time, I have thoroughly enjoyed West, as well as with the from athletics and the arts to faculty development and seeing the College grow and prosper. addition of a $51 million Student Life Center. undergraduate research. The physical transformation of the campus over Not only has SUNY Cortland experienced a renais- Thank you to the SUNY Cortland faculty, staff the past decade has been one of the most significant in sance of its physical infrastructure, I am proud of the and students who continue to make me proud of the College’s history. SUNY Cortland has constructed important role that the Cortland College Foundation my alma mater. Thank you to my fellow foundation its magnificent Stadium Complex and its environmen- has played in solidifying the College’s financial footing board members who volunteer their time and talent to tally award-winning Glass Tower residence hall. By the over that same span of time. help the College in innumerable ways. They are true start of next year, the College will have a new educa- When I became chair in 1999, the foundation’s philanthropists in every sense of that word. Finally, tion building and state-of-the-art day-care center. The endowment totaled $5.7 million. As you can see in thank you to all of you for your support of the foun- Sperry Center and Brockway Hall were completely this year’s annual report, the endowment has grown dation and SUNY Cortland. In the uncertain financial renovated. The Moffett Center pool is being artfully 117 percent to $12.4 million as of June 2008. Because times ahead, I sincerely hope that you will continue transformed into much-needed office space. The of such philanthropy and wise money management, the to support the foundation as it works to keep a SUNY majority of our residence halls have been remodeled Foundation has enabled the College to offer scholar- Cortland education both affordable and outstanding. and are more attractive than ever to our students. The ships to hundreds of deserving students and to provide revamped parking lot behind Cornish-Van Hoesen funds that have enriched the collegiate experience for is extremely pleasing and functional, as is the new all members of our campus community. parking lot on Prospect Terrace. The 2007-08 fiscal year was an unprecedented one SUNY Cortland’s meticulous efforts at respecting for the foundation and the College. For the first time Victor M. Rumore II ’84 the past while preparing for the future are no better in its history, the foundation topped the $3 million mark Chair, Board of Directors evidenced than at our Outdoor Education Center. in annual gifts received. Another milestone came with Cortland College Foundation, Inc. Columns Annual Report 2007-2008 Published four times a year by the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association, Inc., SUNY Cortland, P.O. Box 2000, Cortland, NY 13045-0900. Phone: (607) 753-2516 l Fax: (607) 753-5789 8 9 11 21 E-mail address: [email protected] Raymond D. Franco ’72 Vice President for Institutional Advancement Douglas DeRancy ’75 Inside This Issue Executive Director of Alumni Affairs Gordon Valentine ’68 Alumni Association President SECTION ONE Peter D. Koryzno Editor 2007-2008 Annual Report of the Cortland College Foundation Jennifer Wilson Associate Editor Tracy Rammacher 9 Auxiliary Services Corporation Ingrid Jordak M ’93 Wind Beneath Scholars’ Wings Contributing Editors Jean Palmer Staff Writer 11 Alumni House Trustees Kiefer Creative Selfless Class of 1958 Donors Lead Way Design and Layout FOUNDATION STAFF 14 Lambda Phi Delta Michael Katz Brothers Encourage Student Community Service Manager of Leadership Gifts Peter Vanderwoude Manager of Planned Gifts 17 Cortland Calling Jennifer Janes Students Ringing Alumni, Forging Ties Director of The Cortland Fund Linda Battin Manager of Financial Operations 18 Wendy Foldes Tina Aversano ’96 Friend of College Cherishes Education Leadership Gifts Officer Jonni Campbell Associate Director of The Cortland Fund 20 Student Government Kathleen L. Jensen Association Endows Future Leader Training Database/Prospect Research Administrator Sheila Morse Financial Operations Specialist 24 Campus Programs Dorothy Barrett Smith The Cortland Fund Underwrites Activities Records, Gift Processing and Stewardship Clerk II Reneé Kot Records, Gift Processing and Stewardship Clerk I Staci Kirkland SECTION TWO Database Specialist Julie Taibi SUNY Cortland 2007-2008 Year in Review Keyboard Specialist 2007-2008 SUNY Cortland Annual Report 3 Cortland College Foundation College Explores Moving to Board of Directors Online Donor Report in 2009 s a signatory of the President’s Climate Victor M. Rumore II ’84, chair Neutrality Commitment, SUNY Cort- Bernard E. Thoma ’78, vice chair land continues to look at ways to Robert C. Howe, secretary A Charles H. Spaulding, treasurer reduce its carbon footprint and to protect Patricia Ignagni Allen ’78 and preserve the environment. One possible Donald C. Armstrong measure would be to no longer print its William C. Baerthlein ’76 annual report of donors. Genevieve Burhans Barden ’60 “We, as a campus, are serious about Paul W. Blanchard re-evaluating the manner in which we M. Barry Bocklet ’83 have done things in the past and to gradu- James A. Bonaventura ’79 ally replace those old habits that harm our Jean K. Cadwallader environment with new approaches that Marilyn Muller Clark ’51 still accomplish our informational goals,” Patricia A. Clark Katherine Emerich Compagni ’68 said Raymond D. Franco, vice president for Louise M. Conley institutional advancement. Richard B. deFrances ’54 “If we were to remove the list of donors William M. Dickerson ’69 from our current 32-page Annual Report of Fritz Favorule ’76 the College Foundation and to only make David P. Hempson ’76 them accessible electronically, we could Joseph C.