Category

Foundation

Sep 01
0

Alumni magazine hits mailboxes

By | Alumni, Foundation | No Comments

The latest issue of the Delta State Alumni and Foundation Magazine is currently on its way to the homes of alumni, friends and supporters of Delta State University.

The cover features alumnus Dr. Brad Vickers ’98, founder, owner and CEO of Southern Tradition Tailgating, along with his custom-made tailgating combat vehicle.

Also spotlighted in the magazine is the city of Cleveland, along with several alumni who are committed to promoting and creating an attractive environment for students and Cleveland residents alike.

The magazine contains highlights of a new outdoor recreation lab, the International Business Symposium, athletics and various alumni spotlights.

“The Delta State Alumni and Foundation Magazine is the primary publication distributed to alumni, donors and prospective students,” said Melissa Love, assistant director of Alumni Affairs. “We are excited and proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni and share updates about their alma mater.”

The publication is mailed to over 25,000 homes across the nation.

To view the magazine online, visit https://issuu.com/deltastateuniversity/docs/sumfall_mag17_issu.

To update your alumni information, visit www.deltastategiving.org/alumniassociation/updateyourpersonalinformation.

To stay up to date on the Alumni Association’s activities, follow these social media sites: Facebook (Statesmen Graduates), Twitter (@DSU_Alumni), LinkedIn (DSU alumni), Instagram (dsualumni) and You Tube (dsualumni1). Make plans for this year’s Pig Pickin’ (Oct. 7) and Homecoming (Nov. 11).

Aug 03
1

Turf to be replaced at Parker Field-McCool Stadium

By | Athletics, Foundation | No Comments
Delta State University fans, alumni and community supporters remember the excitement around the installation of the new artificial turf at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in the summer of 2014. Over the course of the last three seasons, issues within the substructure of the field, which has undergone numerous repairs, have led to it becoming a safety hazard for student-athletes, coaches and staff.
 
“The safety of our student-athletes, coaches and fans are always at the forefront of every decision we make here at Delta State,” said Ronnie Mayers, director of athletics. “Our goal right now is to aggressively address the field and work on a long-term solution that meets the needs of our program.” 
 
Delta State University’s Foundation is currently in negotiations with a well established Texas-based company to immediately replace the field, its substructure and turf. Construction on the new field should begin the week of Aug. 1 with the hopes of having the project completed by Sept. 2.    
 
“Delta State prides itself on being a family-centered university and we understand how important our alumni and fans are to our successes on the field and in the classroom,”added Mayers. “Your enthusiasm and financial support for the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen have never wavered, and you can rest assured that we are addressing the failures that occurred with the 2014 turf installation. We will keep you informed as we progress through this situation.”
 
Delta State Athletics and University Advancement has already begun a campaign focused on raising the funds to rebuild the field. A special giving page, including information on the project, will be available online at DeltaStateGiving.org later today.
For more information about the campaign, contact University Advancement director Patrick Hundley at 662-846-4704 or Matt Jones in Athletics at 662-846-4284.   
Jun 27
0

Hundley named interim executive director of Alumni-Foundation

By | Alumni, Faculty/Staff, Foundation, President | No Comments

Delta State University recently welcomed Patrick D. Hundley as the interim executive director of the Delta State University Alumni-Foundation.

Hundley took over after former director Keith Fulcher transitioned to the new position of special assistant to the president for donor relations.

He joins Delta State from the REGISTRY for College and University Presidents, an organization that provides experienced higher educational professionals on an interim basis. University and Foundation officials will conduct a search later in the year for a permanent executive director.

“I could not be more pleased with the welcome that I have received here,” said Hundley. “The entire staff of the Foundation and Alumni division has been wonderful, with each person reaching out to do all in his or her power to assist me. I hope to provide the kind of leadership during my short tenure here that will position this excellent staff to be even more successful in the future.

“Furthermore, President LaForge is totally committed to see that Delta State University reaches a next level of greatness, and I am finding that working with him is a real honor and privilege. Delta State and its development and alumni programs are in great hands. The future is very bright.”

Hundley is a native of Jackson, Tennessee. He received a bachelor’s in English from Tennessee Wesleyan College, a master’s in English from Middle Tennessee State University, and an ABD in English from Oklahoma State University.

He has 35 years of experience in university advancement, including serving as assistant chancellor at University of Wisconsin Platteville, vice president at Minnesota State University Moorhead, and vice chancellor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

“I am very pleased that Patrick Hundley has joined our alumni-foundation staff as a consultant, and I look forward to working with him during this transition period,” said President William N. LaForge. “He brings a wealth of skills and knowledge in the foundation, development, and alumni fields at several universities, including many very similar to Delta State in size and character.”

Short-term, Hundley’s primary focus is to raise more private funds for the betterment of the university. One goal, he said, was to raise the percentage of alumni who contribute from 7.8 percent to 15 percent.

“We must identify more potential donors among our alumni and friends, and we must get out and see these people, taking the message of Delta State’s importance in educating the best and the brightest for our region and our nation,” he said.

Additionally, as an interim director, Hundley said he hopes to have everything in place so that the next director can hit the ground running to raise funding for Delta State.

“Next year will be the first year when tuition income is greater than the funds provided by the state for the university,” said Hundley. “Therefore, private funds become more important as we keep this great University affordable for our students now and in the future. We especially need to raise more funds for scholarships and student projects. This will be one of the charges that I will give our staff as we move forward.”

Hundley has been married to his wife, Susan, for 42 years. They have three children and three grandchildren.

Follow all Delta State University news at www.deltastate.edu.

May 18
1

Fulcher named Special Assistant to the President for Donor Relations

By | Alumni, Faculty/Staff, Foundation, President | No Comments

Delta State University President William N. LaForge and DSU Foundation President Tim Harvey recently announced that Keith Fulcher, executive director of Delta State University Alumni and Foundation, is moving into a new role as Special Assistant to the President for Donor Relations.

In the position, Fulcher will provide strategic leadership in support of the president for fundraising efforts around institutional initiatives of the highest value and priority to Delta State.

Reporting to LaForge and serving as a member of the Advancement Senior Leadership Team, Fulcher will develop and execute coordinated strategies aimed at maximizing the engagement and philanthropic support of the university’s top prospective donors.

Fulcher has served in the executive director role for Alumni-Foundation since 2003.

“I am extremely pleased to continue my 21 years of service to Delta State University in this new role,” Fulcher said. “Private support is key to the future of the University. It is my goal to identify, cultivate, and invite Alumni and friends to consider Delta State as one of their top charitable causes to support. Taking philanthropic giving to unprecedented levels will ensure that the quality of instruction that Delta State is known for is maintained and enhanced for future generations.”

The news comes on the heels of Delta State announcing upcoming plans for a major private fundraising campaign. The campaign will allow Delta State to continue its efforts to boost student success and enrichment, academic excellence, and cultural and social heritage.

“As Delta State approaches the major endeavor of a fundraising campaign, we’re making every effort to organize ourselves for success,” said LaForge. “I am pleased to announce that Keith Fulcher will become the full-time Special Assistant to the President for Donor Relations. This move will allow Keith to focus on cultivation of donors and prospects, and to engage in the advancement of our capital campaign interests over the next several years. I am thrilled he has agreed to take on this new role, and I look forward to working with him.”

Harvey is also thrilled with Fulcher’s new responsibilities.

“This campaign will be one of the most significant initiatives in the 92-year history of Delta State, and having Keith focus all his energy and vast experience working directly with President LaForge on the campaign is critical in creating the results that will be crucial to Delta State for years to come.”

Fulcher received his Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education degree from Delta State in 1983 and a Master of Education in 1985, also from Delta State.

He will commence his new duties over the next few weeks during which time the management of the Alumni-Foundation office will transition to a visiting consultant, who will serve as Interim Executive Director through the end of the calendar year.  The consultant selected for the interim role is Patrick Hundley, and he joins Delta State from the REGISTRY for College and University Presidents, an organization that provides experienced higher educational professionals on a part-time basis.  Hundley will commence his duties next week.  University and Foundation officials will conduct a search later in the year for a permanent Executive Director.

To give to Delta State, visit deltastategiving.org.

Mar 24
1

Karen L. Cummins Endowed Scholarship established

By | Academics, Foundation, President, Students | No Comments
Billy Cummins (second from right), signed endowment agreements for the Karen L. Cummins Endowed Scholarship Fund in memory of his wife Thursday with Delta State Chief Development Officer Gary Bouse (l to r), President William N. LaForge and Keith Fulcher, executive director of Alumni-Foundation.

 

Delta State University welcomed Billy Cummins to campus Thursday to sign endowment agreements for the Karen L. Cummins Endowed Scholarship Fund in memory of his wife, Karen L. Cummins, a 1979 graduate of Delta State University who was a trustee of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and an exemplary employee of Atmos Energy Corporation.

The Delta State University Foundation, which will manage the fund, has received over $50,000 in generous donations from family members, Atmos Energy Corporation, friends and colleagues.

The purpose of the fund is to establish a scholarship for a student attending Delta State University.

Delta State President William N. LaForge said he was extremely grateful to the Cummins family.

“Billy Cummins’s generous gift to the Delta State University Foundation is significant for two reasons. First, it honors a very special person — his wife, Karen — who was a Delta State alumna and served on the IHL Board of Trustees. Secondly, the gift supports a major foundation scholarship fund that Delta State has established, with Billy’s guidance, that will honor Karen’s memory in perpetuity, while providing funds for deserving students to attend Delta State far into the future,” LaForge said.

“I am very grateful to Billy Cummins, his and Karen’s companies — Atmos and Entergy — and all donors who have contributed to this fund in Karen’s memory,” he added. “It is so fitting that we pay tribute to Karen Cummins in this meaningful way.”

The current level of the endowment will provide approximately $2,000 annually to a qualified recipient.

Potential recipients will exemplify the following guidelines:
-Recipient shall be the child of a current employee of the Atmos Energy Corporation or Entergy Corporation. First consideration will be given to children of employees of Atmos Energy.
-Recipient shall possess a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale).
-Recipient shall maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher while attending Delta State.
-Recipient must meet all university scholarship guidelines to maintain the scholarship while enrolled at Delta State.
-Recipient must be in good standing with the university, will uphold the guiding principles and embody the core values of Delta State University.

The fund is open to additional contributions, which will enhance the value of the scholarship’s endowment. Contributions can be made by check made payable to the Delta State University Foundation, Box 3141, Cleveland, MS, 38733, or online at www.deltastategiving.org.

For more information, contact Gary Bouse, Delta State Chief Development Officer, at gbouse@deltastate.edu or 662-846-4704.

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