KU Endowment announces $708 million raised toward Far Above campaign goal; three new trustees elected
OVERLAND PARK — Kurt Watson, chair of Far Above: The Campaign for Kansas and a KU Endowment Trustee, announced today that donors have contributed more than $708 million toward the campaign's $1.2 billion goal. Publicly launched in April of this year with $612 million raised, Far Above is scheduled to conclude in June 2016.
Far Above seeks support to educate future leaders, advance medicine, accelerate discovery and drive economic growth to seize the opportunities of the future.
Watson made the announcement at the 121st annual meeting of the KU Endowment Board of Trustees, held this year at the University of Kansas' Edwards Campus.
Also at the meeting, KU Endowment President Dale Seuferling reported that as of June 30, the performance of the Long-term Investment Program was -3.4 percent. The market value of endowed funds was $1.18 billion. The market value of KU Endowment's total assets, which include endowed funds, real estate and other special holdings, totaled $1.6 billion.
For the 2012 calendar year, from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, the Long-term Investment Program has gained 4.8 percent.
Three new KU Endowment trustees were elected at today's meeting:
Stacey Satterthwaite Dillon, of Lawrence, received her bachelor's degree in personnel administration from KU in 1979. Dillon is a member of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Board and the KU Chi Omega Corporation Board, where she has been a member since 1997 and served as president for 12 years. She is a former board member of the Friends of the Lied and The Shelter Inc.
Brent R. Padgett, of Lawrence, received his bachelor's degree in psychology from KU in 1987 and master's degree in business administration at Wichita State University in 1993. He is president and CEO of The Citizens National Bank, which has several locations in northeast Kansas. He is active in land development projects in the Lawrence area, and he has served on various committees of the Kansas Bankers Association, Kansas City Sports Commission and the KU School of Business Finance Board of Advisors.
A. Scott Ritchie III, of Wichita, received his bachelor's degree in journalism from KU in 1980. He is president and owner of Ritchie Exploration Inc., which is involved in the exploration, production, operation and acquisition of oil and gas properties. He is a board member of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association and a member of the Independent Petroleum Association of America.
KU Endowment is the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university. The University of Kansas Hospital is a partner in philanthropy with KU Endowment.