Kintzi named vice president, Development at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — Audrey Kintzi, M.S., ACFRE, assumed the role of vice president, Development at Saint Mary’s University in July. Kintzi formerly served Saint Mary’s as senior development director. Additionally, she is an adjunct faculty member for the university’s Masters in Philanthropy and Development Program.

Kintzi brings considerable experience to this position after working in the development field for more than 25 years. Before joining Saint Mary’s, she served the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter, as the executive vice president of development.

 A 1983 graduate of Mankato State University, she obtained the designation of CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) in 1991. In October of 2004, she obtained the highly esteemed ACFRE (Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive) credential. This advanced fundraising credential has been conferred on fewer than 100 people internationally. Kintzi is also a past president of the Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

“I am deeply honored to be serving as the vice president, Development for Saint Mary’s University,” Kintzi said. “We are deeply blessed to have an incredible faculty, amazing students and the support of our alumni, friends and community members. I look forward to the opportunity to work with all of these amazing individuals to further our mission to awaken, nurture and empower learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.”

She and her husband Ron have two children, Nathan and Amanda. They are active volunteers with their church and a number of nonprofit organizations including the Girl Scouts, the Arthritis Foundation and Gilda’s Club in the Twin Cities.

Matching grant helps SMU First-Generation Initiative raise $250,000 for scholarships

WINONA, Minn. — Through a generous matching grant, Rochester benefactors Jack and Mary Ann Remick have helped Saint Mary’s University raise $250,000 for First-Generation Initiative scholarships in 2012.

In January, the Remicks, longtime supporters of Saint Mary’s, gifted the university a $100,000 matching grant to raise funds for the First-Generation Initiative. This program provides full scholarships — and continuous support — to low-income, high-potential, qualified students, with preference given to Saint Mary’s Lasallian partner schools.

Brother Ed Siderewicz, director of the First-Generation Initiative, said that by early April the university met the $100,000 challenge and surpassed it, bringing the current total to approximately $250,000.

“Mary Ann Remick is chair of our First-Generation Advisory Board,” Siderewicz said. “She wanted others to learn about and consider supporting the program. These generous funds enable us to make commitments this fall to a new group of First-Generation students who would otherwise never have the opportunity to go to college.

“Working with inner-city high schools,” he said, “we identify promising minority youth who are at risk of dropping out of school, largely because of their dangerous environment, under-resourced communities, and lack of understanding about how higher education opportunities can be accessed.”

After identifying the best candidates as early as the ninth grade, Saint Mary’s invites these students to spend a portion of each summer at the Winona campus Countdown to College Program. When they obtain their high school diplomas, these students are then eligible for a full college scholarship.

Although First-Generation students are mainstreamed, they also have the specialized academic and social support they need to excel in school.

To learn more about the First-Generation Initiative, contact Siderewicz at esiderew@smumn.edu or (507) 457-6683. To read more about this program, go to www.firsgenerationstories.org.

Saint Mary’s University honors Kabaras with Heritage Award April 14

Betty Kabara receives the Heritage Award from Brother William Mann, president of Saint Mary's University.

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University recognized Betty and the late Dr. Jon ’48 Kabara Saturday, April 14, with the university’s first Heritage Award, presented during Saint Mary’s annual Benefactor Recognition Dinner in Winona.

The Heritage Award recognizes special individuals whose exceptional philanthropy has significantly transformed the university during its first century of excellence in education and whose gracious gifts help to dynamically position the university to boldly launch its second century.

The Kabaras, of Galena, Ill., founded the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies in 2005 at Saint Mary’s to ignite and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit in students across the university and to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of entrepreneurship in our society. Dr. Jon Kabara, a 1948 alumnus, dedicated his life to medical research. Regarded as an expert in the field of dietary fats and oils, Dr. Kabara served as a professor at the University of Detroit and later Michigan State University for more than 30 years. In 1969, he helped establish the first affiliated school of osteopathic medicine at Michigan State. An expert in the field of dietary fats and oils, Dr. Kabara has been awarded more than 16 U.S. and foreign patents and is credited with more than 200 publications, including eight books.

 Though Dr. Kabara passed away on March 24, 2011, Betty has furthered her husband’s legacy through her continued support of Saint Mary’s and the Kabara Institute.

The Kabara Institute, along with Saint Mary’s Business Department, sponsors business idea contests, business plan competitions, elevator pitch competitions and Entrepreneurship Week, which features guest speakers, symposiums, and round-table discussions.

Papenfusses donate $50,000 to endowed SMU scholarship for students in need

Jerry and Pat Papenfuss met with Brother William Mann on campus

WINONA, Minn. — Pat and Jerry Papenfuss, owners of the Result Radio Group, have donated $50,000 to Saint Mary’s University for an endowed scholarship, in their name, designated for students with financial need. The scholarship was awarded for the first time this fall, to a Winona-area student. Jerry Papenfuss is a 1962 graduate of Saint Mary’s.

“We’ve both been very blessed with our college experiences, and we recognize the importance of a good education,” said Jerry Papenfuss. “Saint Mary’s instills the knowledge students need to be competitive in the evolving business world, and we especially appreciate the Lasallian, values-based education the university provides.”

“In this challenging economic climate, as more and more students are finding it difficult to pay for college, scholarship assistance like this is a blessing,” said Saint Mary’s President Brother William Mann. “Donations like these will make a difference in the lives of many future students.”

About 90 percent of all SMU undergraduates receive financial aid of some kind. In 2009-10, SMU will provide over $12 million in financial aid, including scholarships, to students.

For more information, contact Joe Sweeney at jsweeney@smumn.edu or (507) 457-1495.

SMU’s Burchill recognized locally, nationally for philanthropy work

WINONA, Minn. — The late Tim Burchill, longtime Saint Mary’s University administrator and director of the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership, will be honored three times in the next week for his work in philanthropy.

Burchill will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Philanthropy Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals on Nov. 15. A celebration of National Philanthropy Day — at which awards will be presented — will be held at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront in Saint Paul.

Each year AFP honors individuals and groups who, through their hard work and dedication, have enhanced philanthropy, their communities and the world. This will be the first time the Outstanding Contribution to Philanthropy Award has been given posthumously; Tim’s wife Barb of Winona will accept the award on his behalf.

Burchill will be honored in La Crosse, Wis., on Nov. 14 by the local Upper Mississippi Valley chapter of AFP, which he co-founded.

And the Winona Community Foundation will present Burchill with the Founders Award on Nov. 13 during its Thanks for Giving event. As part of the award, Burchill’s family will receive a $5,000 grant. The Burchills have asked that the grant be used for the SMU Philanthropy and Development program, which Tim co-founded.

Sweeney named vice president for development, alumni relations

WINONA, Minn. — Brother Louis DeThomasis, chancellor of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, has named Joseph P. Sweeney as vice president for development and alumni relations.

Sweeney, a 1981 Saint Mary's graduate, will begin his new position on December 3. He will oversee the university’s fundraising, alumni relations and advancement services.

Sweeney comes to Saint Mary’s from Loyola Academy, a Jesuit college-preparatory high school in Wilmette, Ill., where he served for 11 years as vice president for development and director of principal gifts. During Sweeney’s tenure, Loyola’s endowment increased from $14 million to nearly $53 million. Previously, Sweeney worked seven years as director of development at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Ill.

Joe and his wife, Stacey (Sanborn ’82) Sweeney, have four children. Their son Kevin is currently a sophomore at Saint Mary’s.