printable versionVolunteer leadership played an essential role in campaign's committees
BY MICHAEL PEÑA
Peter S. Bing
Steven A. Denning
Leslie Parker Hume
Burt McMurtry
Linda R. Meier
Isaac Stein
In October 2004, the Board of Trustees gave concept approval to a comprehensive, university-wide campaign, and the trustees and senior development office staff began to create a campaign volunteer structure. The 10-member executive committee was assembled first, led by President John Hennessy and by four volunteer co-chairs: Isaac Stein, convening co-chair; Steven A. Denning; Christine U. Hazy; and Linda R. Meier. The other volunteer members of the executive committee include Peter S. Bing; Burt McMurtry, chair of the Board of Trustees; and Leslie Parker Hume, who chairs the Board of Trustees development committee. Two staff members from the Office of Development also are on the committee: John Ford, senior vice president for university resources, and Martin Shell, vice president for development. The campaign's director is Tim Portwood, assistant vice president for development.
Shell said the volunteer leaders on the executive committee bring decades of dedication to the university through service on the Board of Trustees, on advisory boards at individual schools, through deep involvement in past campaigns and, last but not least, as proud parents.
"Stanford is extremely fortunate to have extraordinary volunteers who contribute time, talent and resources to this endeavor," Shell said. "The executive committee volunteers have spent countless hours working through the strategic plans of the campaign and have been actively involved in developing the messages and themes of The Stanford Challenge. Their efforts are in large measure why the campaign is off to such a resounding start."
The executive committee has held bi-weekly meetings since March 2005. Among the tasks the committee already has completed was helping to orchestrate the 23 university campaign discussions held in 12 U.S. cities and London from October 2005 through May 2006. These events allowed key alumni, parents and friends to hear about the evolving campaign initiatives and give feedback. The executive committee led the effort to incorporate this feedback into the themes that are now central to The Stanford Challenge.
Another important job for the executive committee was to recruit the steering committee, 37 dedicated volunteers who represent the schools, initiatives and other significant areas that shape the campaign. All members of the executive and steering committee also serve on the campaign's leadership council, which also includes current and former trustees and other leading volunteers and supporters of The Stanford Challenge.
"The campaign isn't really about us," said Stein, the executive committee's convening co-chair, who was re-elected to the Board of Trustees this week. "It's about what happens in the institution. I know we're just the visible face of the enormous number of volunteers who contribute to the university every day."
Co-chairs:Name: Isaac Stein, JD/MBA '72Occupation: Maxygen, co-founder and board chairVolunteer since 1987; university trustee, 1994-2004; board chair, 2000-04; reelected to board, 2006"I suspect for all of us it begins with a love of the institution. Stanford made an enormous difference in my life, and I want to see Stanford be able to achieve the incredible potential I believe it has to play an important role in the 21st century. I also get to work with a group of dedicated, intelligent people who are doing interesting things in virtually every field of human endeavor."
Name: Steven A. Denning, MBA '78 (Parent '08)Occupation: General Atlantic, chairmanVolunteer since 1987; university trustee since 2004; chair, Graduate School of Business Advisory Council"To me, it's a matter of getting involved at Stanford. Understand what the university is trying to accomplish across the seven schools, and on an interdisciplinary level, within the seven schools," Denning said. "I think it will create tremendous excitement, tremendous enthusiasm."
Name: Christine U. Hazy (Parent '04, '07, '09)Occupation: SKETCH Foundation, chair and chief executive officerVolunteer since 2000; member, Parents' Advisory Board"As a Stanford parent, I am so impressed that such a prestigious university places at the forefront of its goals a deep aspiration to meet the greatest needs of our time head on … creatively trying to unravel them and incorporating a new way of thinking in order to actually solve these problems."
Name: Linda R. Meier, '61Occupation: Bay Area community leader and philanthropist; university trustee, 1984-1994; co-chair of the Stanford Centennial Campaign and vice chair for outreach of The Campaign for Undergraduate EducationVolunteer for almost 30 years"I feel that Stanford is uniquely positioned to address global issues in a significant and meaningful way. The entrepreneurial culture that typifies the Stanford of today, as well as the past, provides an environment that encourages new ways of thinking and tackling problems. Our interdisciplinary approach encourages faculty and students to work collaboratively and breaks down the historical silos. It is an exciting time to play a role in this great university and I feel privileged to have that opportunity."
Members:Name: Peter S. Bing, '55Occupation: InvestmentsVolunteer since 1952; university trustee, 1970-1981, 1985-1995 and 1996-2006"There's an emotional epoxy that happily bonds each one of us to Stanford for life."
Name: Leslie Parker Hume, AM '71, PhD '79Occupation: San Francisco community leaderVolunteer since the early 1980s; university trustee since 2000; current chair, Board of Trustees development committee; vice chair for parents during The Campaign for Undergraduate Education"Stanford is a university that keeps going from strength to strength. It has a tremendous potential to make a difference in the world, both by focusing its sights on solving some of the world's many problems and by educating the generations who will be on the front lines tackling these problems. I am excited to be part of a campaign that promises to help Stanford fulfill this potential and to work with a great team, led by John Hennessy, that is so focused on and determined to make this happen."
Name: Burton J. McMurtry, MS '59, PhD '62Occupation: Retired venture capitalistVolunteer for more than 20 years; university trustee since 1997; currently chair of the Board of Trustees"I am truly passionate about Stanford and about Stanford's ability to make a positive difference in the world."
The Stanford Challenge Steering CommitteeAnne T. Bass, member at large
Robert M. Bass, MBA '74, Graduate School of Business
Douglas M. Brown, '59, MBA '61, planned giving
James E. Canales Jr., '88, AM '89, alumni relations
Roberta Bowman Denning, '75, MBA '78 (Parent '08), arts and creativity
Susan Ford Dorsey, School of Humanities and Sciences
Herbert M. Dwight Jr., '53, MS '59, Hoover Institution
Laura M. Fisher, '88, School of Education
Bradford M. Freeman, '64, principal gifts
John Freidenrich, '59, LLB '63, Stanford Medical Center and principal gifts
James C. Gaither, JD '64, principal gifts, chair
John D. Goldman, MBA '75, athletics
John A. Gunn, '65, MBA '72 (Parent '03, '08), major gifts, chair
Philip W. Halperin, '85, international initiative
Steven U. Hazy (Parent '04, '07, '09), member at large
Terry Huffington, '77, School of Earth Sciences
George H. Hume, JD/MBA '75, undergraduate education
William C. Landreth, '69, principal gifts
Chien Lee, '75, MS '75, MBA '79, international area chair (Asia)
John P. Levin, AM '70, JD '73 (Parent '09), principal gifts
Douglas J. Mackenzie, '81, MS '82, School of Engineering
Michael G. McCaffery, MBA '82 (Parent '08), Graduate School of Business
Edward J. McKinley, '74 (Parent '08), international area chair (Europe)
Stephen C. Neal, JD '73, Law School
William H. Neukom, LLB '67, Law School
Angela Nomellini, '75, School of Education
Denise O'Leary, '79, Stanford Hospital and Clinics
Paul A. Ormond, '71, MBA '73, major gifts, area chair—central and southern United States
Susan P. Orr, '68, MBA '70, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
Reiko L. Osaki, '00, young alumni
Jesse T. Rogers, '79, major gifts, area chair—western United States
Jennifer A. Satre, '71 (Parent '01, '07), parents program
Philip G. Satre, '71 (Parent '01, '07), parents program
V. Joy Simmons, '74, annual giving
Jeffrey E. Stone, '78, annual giving
Scott M. Stuart, MBA '86, major gifts, area chair—eastern United States
Ward W. Woods, '64, Initiative on the Environment and Sustainability