Generous
gifts to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will establish an endowed
faculty position in waterfowl and wetlands conservation, enhancing one of the
nation’s largest wildlife management programs.
Gifts
totaling $2 million to UWSP Foundation from James C. Kennedy of Atlanta, Ga.,
and David F. Grohne of Wilmington, Ill., will create the Kennedy-Grohne Chair
in Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation, a new faculty position in the College
of Natural Resources.
The
position will be the second endowed chair in UW-Stevens Point’s history and
will significantly enhance opportunities in waterfowl and wetlands research,
outreach and education, according to Christine Thomas, dean of the College of
Natural Resources. The first, a wildlife endowed chair, was created in December
2013.
“We
are excited, humbled and honored by Mr. Grohne’s and Mr. Kennedy’s generosity
and this expression of faith in our faculty and students,” Thomas said. Their
support represents a long-term investment in science that will strengthen
education and research to secure the future of healthy waterfowl populations,
she said, especially along the northern section of the Mississippi Flyway.
Earnings
generated from the endowment will support collaborative research, outreach and
related student-faculty activities of the chair. The university will provide
the base salary and fringe benefits for the position.
“This
substantial commitment will be transformational for our students,” Chancellor
Bernie Patterson said. “The new Kennedy-Grohne Chair will reinforce UW-Stevens
Point’s role as a national leader in undergraduate education in natural
resource management.”
A
national search for a recognized waterfowl and wetlands expert will begin
immediately.
Kennedy
and Grohne are devoted conservationists and longtime members, volunteers and
benefactors of Ducks Unlimited, Inc., the world’s largest private, nonprofit,
waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization.
Grohne
is founder of Independent Tube Corporation, a leading manufacturer of structural
steel tubing, based in Chicago. In addition to his lifelong passion for
the outdoors and involvement in Ducks Unlimited, he is also a trustee for the
Wetlands America Trust. One of the nation's largest accredited land trusts, it
holds conservation easements on nearly 400,000 acres. An avid
philanthropist, he is also a trustee for the David F. and Margaret T. Grohne
Foundation in Western Spring, Ill.
Kennedy
is chairman of Cox Enterprises, a leading communications, media and automotive
services company, based in Atlanta. A lifelong nature enthusiast and
conservationist, he once served as chairman of the Colorado Division of
Wildlife Commission and was awarded Conservationist of the Year.
Kennedy
currently serves on the board of the PATH Foundation, Georgia’s trail system
for walkers, runners, cyclists and skaters. He previously served on the boards
of Ducks Unlimited and the Atlanta Committee for Progress, and is a current
member and past president of Wetlands America Trust, Inc. He received the
Distinguished Conservationist of the Year Award from the Georgia Conservancy in
2009. He and his wife, Sarah, were recognized as the 2003 Philanthropists of
the Year by the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Fund-raising
Professionals.
Their commitments
are among leadership gifts in the early stages of UW-Stevens Point’s
Partnership for Thriving Communities capital campaign.
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