This year members of the senior class restructured and refocused the program formerly known as Senior Challenge to create The Change Campaign for Susquehanna University. The new Change Campaign dedicates itself to raising philanthropic awareness as well as increasing undergraduate giving among S.U. students.

The funds that The Change Campaign receives from alumni and student donors will support the newly formed Fund for Change. The program opens new opportunities for students, faculty and staff because the Fund for Change will provide financial support for volunteer and service-oriented programs that have an impact on the world beyond Susquehanna University. Organizations and programs will be able to request support from the Fund for Change from the Vice President for Student Life.

On September 6, 2007 The Change Campaign for Susquehanna University hosted a kickoff event for seniors at BJ’s. The support the campaign received was outstanding. Over 250 members of the senior class were in attendance, making it the most successful kickoff event for an undergraduate giving program in recent history.

The Change Campaign plans to thrive on this momentum throughout the next year by sponsoring a variety of events. “Philanthropy Phriday,” an event to be scheduled for a Friday in November, will raise philanthropic awareness among University students.

The Changing Lives, Building Futures campaign will be reaching out more broadly to a number of important university audiences beginning in the year ahead, according to Campaign Chair and Trustee James W. Summers ’64.

“One of the campaign’s important objectives is to create broader community engagement around the idea that a culture of giving is and has been at Susquehanna’s core for nearly 150 years,” Summers says. “For Susquehanna to have a future of providing high quality experiences for students, that culture needs to be increasingly embraced by all our constituents.”

The Board of Trustees’ Campaign Task Force has built a plan around the university’s key constituent populations in order to elicit greater engagement:

ALUMNI
Edward R. Schmidt ’69 (Indianapolis, Ind.), retired partner in the law firm of Krieg DeVault LLP and former Executive Vice President of Sallie Mae, Inc. and USA Group, Inc. is leading the alumni component of the campaign in partnership with the Alumni Association and its Executive Board. Its goals include:

• Building strength in volunteer programs and networks and creating greater value in the Susquehanna alumni connection
• Identifying graduates who can be effective future leaders for Susquehanna
• Conveying a strong message that every alumni gift to Susquehanna is meaningful and important
• Promoting the submission of “Changing Lives” stories from alumni

FACULTY/STAFF
Barry R. Jackson ’68 (Annapolis, Md.), Principal of Portshire, Inc., will work with President L. Jay Lemons and other members of the campus community to generate support for campaign priorities.

FRIENDS/NEIGHBORS/AMBASSADOR
Frank J. Trembulak ’69 (Danville, Pa.), Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Geisinger Health System, will chair a program that aims to create greater awareness and build Susquehanna’s reputation for excellence through the exploration of regional partnerships, opportunities for student recruitment, and fundraising.

MAJOR GIFTS
James W. Summers ’64 (Jupiter, Fla.), retired Senior Vice President of ARAMARK Corp., is leading the solicitation program for significant outright and planned gifts to fund campaign priorities.

PARENTS
Kathi Stine ’76 Flack (Dallas, Pa.), President of the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic Board of Directors and, with husband Charles “Rusty” Flack ’76, the parent of two Susquehannans (Chad ’05 and Alex ’09), will lead the parent program in partnership with the Parents Association. The parent initiative will look to build volunteer involvement, identify future leaders, and generate gifts.

PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS
William A. Lewis ’68 (Bethesda, Md.), Deputy Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy, guides this effort to increase grant support and assist with government relations.

STUDENTS
William E. Sordoni ’97 (Shavertown, Pa.), Vice President of Sordoni Construction, will work to develop programs to prepare students to become connected, contributing alumni who value their long-term relationship with Susquehanna.

TRUSTEES
Terry L. March ’67 (Water Mill, N.Y.), Chairman and CEO, Midwood Securities Inc., and Chair of the Susquehanna Board of Trustees, is leading the trustee gift solicitation program.

“Everyone who cares about Susquehanna University can make a valuable contribution to the Changing Lives, Building Futures campaign,” Summers said. “We want to encourage that. As much as success in a campaign is measured by the amount of money that’s raised, this campaign really has a more holistic set of objectives centered principally on enhancing the experience for our students as well as engaging alumni and others in ways that are rewarding and interesting to them.”

Please contact Ron Cohen ( cohen@susqu.edu or 570-372-4103), vice president of university relations, if you are interested in learning more or in participating in the Changing Lives, Building Futures campaign.

Kathi Stine ‘76 Flack	Barry R. Jackson ‘68	William A. Lewis ‘68	Terry L. March ‘67
Edward R. Schmidt ‘69	William E. Sordoni ‘97	James W. Summers ‘64	Frank J. Trembulak ‘69