Samford University’s board
of trustees established a new endowment fund and elected four new members at
their regular winter meeting Dec. 1 in Birmingham.
Trustees established the new
William Self Propst Fund, using gifts from a Samford alumnus and Huntsville
pharmaceuticals executive.
Earnings from the quasi-endowment fund will be used for maintenance and
improvements for William Self Propst Hall, the university’s primary academic
building for sciences, and for academic and program support for the McWhorter
School of Pharmacy and natural sciences in the Howard College of Arts and
Sciences.
The board elected four new
members: Victor Brown, an
executive with the Birmingham Business Alliance; Don Kilgore, a businessman
from Jasper, Ala.; Rod Steakley, a
Huntsville, Ala., attorney; and Jasper, Ala., community volunteer Beth Thorne
Stukes. Re-elected to additional
terms were Judge Karon O. Bowdre of Birmingham; Dothan, Ala., banker Ronald
Devane; Alfa insurance executive Jerry Newby, Montgomery, Ala.; Gary Pearman,
an auto dealer from Huntsville; Gadsden, Ala., auto executive Ronald Watkins;
and Montgomery pastor Jay L. Wolf.
The trustees earlier had been affirmed by the Alabama State Baptist
Convention.
Birmingham attorney W. Clark
Watson was re-elected board chairman.
Other officers are former Alabama Gov. Albert P. Brewer of Birmingham,
vice chairman and Executive Committee chairman; Birmingham businessman John E.
Bell, Jr., secretary; and retired businesswoman Wynema J. Lowry of Cullman,
assistant secretary.
Jenna Knox Cassese and
William J. Stevens of Birmingham were recognized for their service as trustees.
They had reached term limits as trustees. Stukes received a plaque recognizing
her late mother, Barbara Thorne of Jasper, for her service on the board.
Trustees approved candidates
for December graduation and a new university-wide record retention and
disposition policy for the university. Harry B. Brock III, Samford’s vice
president for business affairs, explained that the university had not
previously had a university-wide, comprehensive policy.
Brock and the business
affairs staff reported on the 2010-11 budget planning process and noted that
Samford’ endowment was valued at about $221 million, up about 5 percent for the
current fiscal year. As a result,
net assets are up $11.6 million over the previous year.
R. Phil Kimrey, vice
president for student affairs and enrollment management, reported that
applications are running about 4 percent ahead of the previous year. W. Randall
Pittman, vice president for university advancement, reported that giving has
been impacted by the global economic situation but that year-to-date giving from
alumni and parents is well ahead of previous years.
Sarah C. Latham, vice
president for operations and planning, reported on a new university-wide
educational program, “100 Grand to Green,” to save $100,000 on utility costs
over the next year.
The board’s next regularly
scheduled meeting is April 20, 2010.
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