Favorite Quote or Personal Statement:
For a quarter of a century, I have worked for an institution whose motto is taken from a Biblical verse, Matthew 10:8 – “Freely ye have received; freely give.” Since the founding of Pepperdine College in Los Angeles in 1937 by businessman/philanthropist George Pepperdine, the spirit of “giving freely” to those less fortunate has resonated with many of the nearly 90,000 alumni of Pepperdine University. Giving, serving, “loving humankind” – the very definition of philanthropy – is in this institution’s DNA.

Faith-based colleges and universities and indeed all private, independent liberal arts colleges rely not on tax payer support, but on the support of men and women, whose philanthropic gifts of a few dollars, or of millions of dollars provide those institutions with the means to carry out their ambitious charters – the education of young people. At Pepperdine, such an education embraces a higher purpose that is at the heart of our mission statement: “Strengthening Lives for Purpose, Service, and Leadership.”

Initiatives such as Voices for Philanthropy help ensure that the important work of seeking out and acting upon opportunities to “become our better selves” occur daily in the smallest villages and largest cities of the world. Voices reminds us there are many roads in life that beckon us, and sometimes roads that require our sacrifice, “roads less traveled” offer the greatest rewards of all.