August 20, 2008

Purdue scholarship campaign, Mackey renovation adding up

Gary and Michelle "Shelly" Henriott, Gary and Michele Lehman, and Jim and Mary Jo Risk - all Purdue alumni - made donations to spearhead the community portion of the drive, which will seek donations from Lafayette and West Lafayette area community members through Dec. 31, 2009.

One million dollars of the new gifts will support Phase I of the campaign, which includes the $99.5 million renovation and expansion of Mackey Arena. Improvements to the 40-year-old arena will include improved arena seating, ticket offices and other amenities for fans, as well as the opportunity to bring academic, athletic and training needs into one complex to benefit all student-athletes. Purdue has raised nearly $24 million of the $32 million private fundraising goal for Mackey.

The remaining $500,000 of the gifts will support Phase II of the campaign, which includes student scholarships and programs. Nearly $43 million has already been raised toward the $304 million goal for Phase II. About two-thirds of the money raised will go to scholarships for students at all Purdue campuses. The rest will go to support programs in grades K-12 and help students succeed after they enroll at Purdue.

Purdue President France A. Córdova said the gifts are a reminder of the strong ties between Purdue and Tippecanoe County.

"We are extremely grateful to these friends of Purdue for their contributions to a campaign that aims to make a Purdue education attainable for all students," Córdova said. "I am especially pleased that the Henriotts, Lehmans and Risks will be leading us toward our goal to raise $10 million from the community. Strong ties to our towns and our state remind us that Purdue is very much a hometown and a global university."

Other Access and Success community campaign members are:

* Byron and Irene Anderson of West Lafayette. Byron Anderson is former Purdue trustee and a 1948 engineering graduate. He is the retired CEO of B.L. Anderson Co.

* Bart and Nancy Burrell of West Lafayette. Bart Burrell, a 1981 management alumnus and former Boilermaker football player, opened the Lafayette office of Merrill Lynch in 1993. Nancy, a 1983 communications graduate, is a marketing assistant with the Lafayette-West Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.

* John O. and Cheryl Coffin of Lafayette. John Coffin, a 1959 industrial economics graduate, is president of Fairfield Builders Supply Corp. Cheryl is president of Rivers Edge Inc., a catering company.

* Jeffrey A. Cooke and Vicky Clark of Lafayette. Cooke, a 1967 liberal arts alumnus, owns the Cooke Law Office.

* Ken C. and Kitty Decker of Lafayette. Ken Decker, a 1964 mechanical engineering alumnus, is a patent attorney consultant. Kitty Decker, a 1967 and 1974 alumna in consumer and family sciences and liberal arts, is a home economist consultant.

* Robert and Laura Falk of West Lafayette. Robert Falk is president and CEO of Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union. Laura Falk is a stay-at-home mother to two children and the president of the Klondike Elementary School parent-teacher organization.

* Cy and Priscilla Gerde of Lafayette. Cy Gerde, a 1967 liberal arts alumnus, is a partner at Hanna, Gerde and Russell law offices. Priscilla Gerde, a 1972 liberal arts alumna, is a manager of corporate health services at Eli Lilly and Co.

* Dennis E. and Jeanne Gernhardt of Lafayette. Dennis Gernhardt is president and owner of DeFouw Chevrolet-BMW.

* Dr. Michael W. and Mary Ellen Skehan of Lafayette. Dr. Skehan is chairman and president of Clarian Arnett Health. Mary Ellen Skehan has a nursing background and supports Dr. Skehan in his role within the health community.

Gary and Shelly Henriott

Gary Henriott, a 1972 management graduate, and his wife, Shelly, a 1980 education graduate, live in Lafayette. Gary Henriott currently serves as chairman and CEO of the Henriott Group, an insurance, risk management and employee benefits company founded by his father in 1963. He serves as chair of the Business and Industry Council of the Lafayette-West Lafayette Economic Development Corp. and is chairman of Lafayette Neighborhood Housing Services. He serves as a trustee of the local YMCA and is a member of the Lafayette Board of Public Works and Safety and the board of Lafayette Transitional Housing Services.

The Henriotts have previously supported the building of the Schwartz Tennis Center at Purdue and are members of the Purdue President's Council, Griffin Society and John Purdue Club.

Shelly Henriott is a retired special education teacher and former board member of Tippecanoe County Child Care and Caregivers Companion.

"Shelly and I are honored to be local co-chairs of this effort," Gary Henriott said. "We're involved because the focus is on scholarships and making a great Purdue education available to more students who financially need or deserve to have that opportunity. It's exciting to be part of a project that will change kids' lives forever."

Gary and Michelle Lehman
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Gary Lehman, a 1974 industrial management alumnus, is the president and CEO of Fairfield Manufacturing Co. Inc., a gear and drive solutions company.

Before taking the helm at Fairfield, Lehman co-founded The Cannelton Group, a consulting firm specializing in strategic and operational assistance to manufacturing companies. He also has served as president of Philips Lighting Electronics North America and has held senior positions with Federal Mogul, TRW, Deere and Co., and Allen Bradley. Lehman is the 2008 campaign chairman for the United Way of Greater Lafayette and is vice chairman of the Lafayette-West Lafayette Development Corp. He also is a member of the board of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, a commissioner for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, and a vice chairman for the Redevelopment Commission for the city of Lafayette. A former Boilermaker football team manager, he earned a master's of business administration from Case Western Reserve University.

Michele Lehman, a 1974 education alumna, is an advocate of education and has been involved with the Reading Recovery program and Women of Purdue events. She is a member of the Dean's Advisory Council for Purdue's College of Education and on the board of directors of the Lafayette Country Club. She serves as president of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Indiana and is on the board of directors of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Illinois. She is an active volunteer with the National Runaway Switchboard. She earned a master's degree from John Carroll University.

As longtime benefactors of the university, the Lehmans previously established the Lehman Family Endowed Athletic Scholarship at Purdue and have contributed to Reading Recovery, the Krannert School of Management and other scholarship programs.

"Michele and I are very honored to be a part of this important campaign and are excited to help make the resources of Purdue available to as many students as possible," Gary Lehman said. "We built buildings in the previous campaign, and we are building human capital with this one."

Mary Jo and James "Jim" Risk III
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James "Jim" Risk III, a 1963 science alumnus, is president and CEO of the Kirby Risk Corp., a manufacturer and electrical products supply company.

He has served on the executive committee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and on the boards of the Lafayette Life Insurance Co., the Columbus Life Insurance Co. and North Central Health Services Inc. In 1992 Risk was named Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year and in 1997 he received the Krannert School of Management's Distinguished Executive Award. In 1995-96 he served as chairman of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and in 1997-98 he was chairman of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Risk served on both executive committees for many years.

At Purdue, the Risks have been active in advisory and philanthropic roles with the Krannert School of Management, the Purdue Alumni Association and the College of Technology.

Mary Jo Risk, a 1963 liberal arts graduate, has been involved with the Purdue Alumni Association, serving in several leadership roles. The Risks previously established the Jim and Mary Jo Risk Athletic Scholarship and are members of the John Purdue Club. They also have financially supported the Krannert School of Management, Purdue Varsity Glee Club, College of Technology and many other areas at the university.

"The Risk family has been a proud and loyal supporter of Purdue for many years," Jim Risk said. "My father took me to basketball games in the old field house, and I attended the first game in Mackey Arena, which I remember well. Mary Jo and I are so pleased to support a campaign which will improve conditions for our student-athletes through the Mackey Arena renovation and increase access for all students."

Writer: Tanya Brown, (765) 494-2079, tanyabrown@purdue.edu

Sources: France A. Córdova, (765) 494-9708

Murray Blackwelder, senior vice president for advancement, (765) 496-2144, mblackwelder@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: The 2008 Chamber After Hours reception will be from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 20) in the Beck Agricultural Center at the Purdue Agronomy Farm. Several members of the community campaign committee and donors will be in attendance. Remarks will begin at 5:30 p.m. The building is part of the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education on U.S. 52, located about seven miles northwest of the West Lafayette campus. For information, contact Tanya Brown, Purdue News Service, at (765) 494-2079, tanyabrown@purdue.edu .

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