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Saluting a unified campaign effort
Vice President David Dunn (far left) and President John B. Simpson (far right) flank representatives accepting awards at the Jan. 26 celebration. They are, from second on the left, James Nadbrzuch, Student Affairs; Connie Holoman, External Affairs; Mick Thompson, Office of the Provost; Sally Sams, Nursing; John Shellum, Management; and Jack and Lee Baker, Emeritus Center. Photo: JIM BISCO
A celebration of the goal-exceeding success of the 2008 Campaign for the Community was held Monday in the Center for Tomorrow, hailing the generosity of the UB community and the work of those who helped coordinate its continuing legacy.
Under the theme UB People Giving Back, $872,824 has been raised to date with 3,097 employees—a 42.83 percent participation rate—accounting for 102.69 percent of the $850,000 goal.
“People at UB really do care about the community,” said David L. Dunn, vice president for health sciences and campaign chair. “They felt compelled to make sure that this campaign was a success.”
President John Simpson noted that, in the face of a major economic crisis, “not only have we demonstrated this year that we’ve been able to mount a campaign that more than achieved a very ambitious goal we set out for ourselves, but we have demonstrated once again what we as a university community can do when we put our minds to something and when we work together.”
Dunn noted that 10 campus units exceeded expectations this year. Unit award winners included:
• School of Nursing, which received the gold award as the most successful unit with the highest percentage of employee participation at 76 percent, achieving 116 percent of its unit goal.
• School of Management, which received the silver award for success achieved in every area of measurable criteria, including 112 percent of its goal and 73 percent employee participation.
• The Emeritus Center, which received the bronze award for a total of $21,591 donated by this group of former UB faculty and staff members.
The William R. Greiner Award, which honors individuals who exemplify the same level of commitment and service to the campaign as the former UB president, was presented to James Nadbrzuch, associate vice president for resource and support services in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, for his long-time involvement in the Campaign for the Community.
The Chair’s Cup, which honors a unit whose performance has achieved success in significant measure, was given to the Office of the Provost, which contributed more than $97,000 to this year’s campaign, raising $34,000 more than last year, the largest increase in the campaign.
The Bennett Cup, named for former United Way president Bob Bennett and honoring overall excellence in a unit’s campaign, was awarded to the Division of External Affairs for achieving 101 percent of its goal and 100 percent unit response rate.
While acknowledging the participation of more than 3,000 people at UB, Dunn reasoned that “we can do better than that next year,” noting that he will stay on to help transition the new campaign chair and referred to initiatives being developed by the steering committee and the committee chairs that will “make this an even more successful campaign next year.”
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