Stephen Fuller

Campaign Watch

By Denise St. Ours

More than $6 million has been raised in gifts and pledges since the public launch in April of The Campaign for George Mason University, which seeks to raise at least $110 million in private support by June 2005. By summer's end, the campaign total exceeded $84 million, which includes the $78 million raised during the campaign's prepublic phase.

$1 Million Gift Funds Faculty Chair

A recent $1 million gift to fund a faculty chair from Dwight C. Schar, chair and CEO of NVR Inc., has helped propel the campaign's momentum. Schar is a member of the university's Campaign Committee and a former member of the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees.

In recognition of this gift and Schar's longtime support and service to the university, the chair has been named after him. Stephen S. Fuller, professor of Public Policy and director of the Center for Regional Analysis, has been appointed the chair's inaugural holder. Faculty appointments will rotate among schools and disciplines to strengthen and enhance programs across the university.

Schar has led efforts to seek additional research funds for the Center for Regional Analysis from a consortium of area business leaders. Commitments totaling more than $350,000 have been made. Contributors include Giuseppe Cecchi, president and CEO, the IDI Group Companies; John T. Hazel Jr., partner, Reed Smith; William A. Hazel, chair of the board, William A. Hazel Inc.; Michael P. Kahn, president, Michael Kahn and Associates; and John M. Toups, retired president and CEO, Litton PRC Inc.

Forensics Initiative Sparks Support

Faculty and Forensics Team alumni have raised gifts and pledges totaling more than $100,000 for the Forensics Team Alumni and Friends Endowment Fund. The endowment will support scholarships and activities relating to the Forensics Team, which has received more than 13,000 awards over the past three decades, including numerous top 10 national finishes.

Spearheading this initiative were Diane Pape Reed, B.A. Communication '89, vice president-programs, Alumni Association Board of Directors, and Sheryl A. Friedley and Bruce B. Manchester, faculty members from the Department of Communication.

President's Circle Grows

Since the initiation of the campaign's prepublic phase, alumni membership in the President's Circle - which recognizes donors who have given $1,000 or more during the fiscal year - has increased by more than 50 percent. During that same four-year period, the dollar amount contributed by alumni at the President's Circle level has increased from $135,048 to $353,260.

President's Circle Chair Edward J. Newberry, B.A. Communication '84 and B.S. Business Administration '84, is leading this year's volunteer efforts to increase participation in this recognition society and inform alumni about the campaign.

For more information about the campaign, visit www.campaign.gmu.edu.

Alumni Lead Foundation Board

Lovey L. Hammel, B.S. Marketing '88, president of Employment Enterprises Inc., was re-elected chair of the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees at its annual meeting in June. At the same time, trustees James W. Hazel, J.D. '84, special advisor to Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, and Michael G. Anzilotti, M.B.A. '83, president and CEO of First Virginia Bank, were elected secretary and treasurer, respectively.

Hazel succeeds Teresa M. Klaassen, B.S. Business Administration '77, cofounder and executive vice president of Sunrise Assisted Living Inc., as secretary. Klaassen, whose term expired, was recently appointed by Gov. Warner to the George Mason University Board of Visitors.

Alumnus Juan A. "Jack" Mencia, B.S. Finance '84, president and CEO of The Cube Corporation, was one of five newly elected trustees. Alumni re-elected to a second term were Anzilotti and D. Jean Wu, M.S. Information Systems '87, president of Integrated Management Services Inc. Hammel was re-elected to a third term.