LeaderNotes Fall/Winter 2020

The latest edition of LeaderNotes is available. This edition includes a Letter from the President, a Board Meeting Recap, Gifts Across the System, and more.

Click here to read the full newsletter.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I hope you all are continuing to stay safe and healthy as we inch closer to the end of this crazy year! Despite the ongoing disruptions of COVID-19, the dedication of our staff and Board members has been invaluable in helping us continue our work in this ever-changing landscape. It has been inspiring to see how many members of our community stepped up with contributions to emergency funds that have helped students across the System continue their educational journeys in the face of the many hardships that the pandemic has brought to them.

On November 17, the Foundation Board held its second-ever virtual Board meeting. The online meeting space has allowed many Board members and staff to join the meeting who may otherwise not be able to due to distance or schedules. It was great to see everyone and to engage in a productive discussion about the recent Presidential election with faculty from the University of Maryland, College Park. Further on in this newsletter, you will find a full recap of the Board meeting.

In other Foundation news, for the first time ever, we have transitioned our annual report to an entirely online environment. Click here to see our FY20 financial statements, investment report, a video interview with Chancellor Perman and more.

Earlier this fall, Foundation Board Chair Bonnie Stein participated in the Shop Maryland Tax-Free Virtual Scholarship Presentation. The scholarships were presented to students who went above and beyond to help small businesses in Maryland stay afloat during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bonnie introduced second-place winner, Kyle Fritschi, a student at the University of Maryland, College Park. Kyle is a childhood cancer survivor who has been employed at Brooke Grove Retirement Village in Sandy Spring, Maryland since 2017. When the pandemic hit, Kyle took on extra shifts at the retirement home while juggling the transition to online classes. He made calls to residents of the retirement home to conduct welfare checks and helped prepare and package meals to deliver to resident’s doorsteps while some of his coworkers were unable to work due to positive COVID tests. During the presentation, Bonnie announced that the USM Foundation would match the scholarship prize money Kyle received. Bonnie was so moved by Kyle’s story that she also committed a match, as did the University of Maryland, College Park Foundation. Congratulations, Kyle!

Finally, I would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday season. Please stay heathy and as always, please contact me at raley@usmd.edu with any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Leonard R. Raley