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• Ambitious $25 million fundraising goal exceeded by $3 million.
By Rex Barber
Johnson City Press
“I view it with mixed emotions, ” Jeanes said of his upcoming retirement . “Number one, it’s really what I wanted to do. And I think it’s a good time. I’ve always wanted to step down when things were going well… .” MILLIGAN COLLEGE (June 30, 2011)–– Milligan College President Don Jeanes will be able to leave office July 15 knowing the fundraising campaign begun under his watch exceeded the goal of $25 million by $3 million.
Forward Ever: The Campaign for Milligan College, the capital campaign begun in 2009 in preparation for the Christian college’s 150th anniversary in 2016, was scheduled to end this October, but the school announced Wednesday the campaign has concluded at $28 million raised for scholarship, community and wellness initiatives at the college.
Jeanes said it was a gratifying feeling to have completed the campaign before he steps down and Bill Greer, currently the school’s vice president for institutional advancement, assumes the presidency.
“It allows Dr. Greer and his team to move ahead with some of the new initiatives, some of which we’re working on now,” Jeanes said. “We’re just not ready to make announce-ments.”
Following his retirement from the presidency, Jeanes will remain with Milligan for a year as chancellor, a position that will see him continuing to raise funds for the college. Jeanes became president in 1997.
The Forward Ever campaign raised $21.5 million for the scholarship initiative, including $7.7 million in gifts toward the endowment; $3.5 million for community initiatives; and $3 million benefitting the wellness initiative. Some of the projects completed as a result of this campaign include the Gilliam Wellness Center, the Citizen’s Bank Athletic Training Center and the Tennis Pavilion at the Mathes Tennis Center.
Many buildings on campus received renovations from the Forward Ever campaign, including the Mary B. Martin Auditorium in Seeger Memorial Chapel and Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. The campaign also allowed for new degree programs and majors.
Jeanes was particularly pleased with the nearly $8 million for the endowment.
“An endowment has been something that’s been woefully lacking at Milligan for a number of years and it’s gratifying to see that grow and certainly that will continue to be an emphasis in the coming years as we try to build that fund to ensure our future.”
Greer, who will become the school’s 15th president, on Saturday, July 16, said fundraising will certainly not cease for Milligan, because increased enrollment means expansion is necessary.
He said one of the first projects that needs to be considered at Milligan is providing additional living space on campus.
“We’re at capacity in our residence halls,” Greer said. “We have plans in place to expand them, to build at least two more residence halls.”
Efforts like that will require additional fundraising.
“I think our work is never done as long as we’re a growing, thriving college, and we certainly have been in recent years,” Greer said. “But really that means we have to continuously seek funding to expand. We don’t receive tax money since we’re a private institution, so we rely on the generosity of our alumni and donors and friends and supporting churches to grow and make the campus improvements that we’ve made and the build the buildings that we’ve built.”
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