Past Chairman's Letter
January 2007
By Read Morton
Dear Friends:
With a new year upon us, it is time once again to share some news from the University of Georgia Foundation. 2006 was a spectacular year. Our endowment continued to grow and we posted double digit returns on our investments (again). It sets the stage for a superb 2007 and we are looking forward to working with the board and the university throughout the year to fulfill our mission.
Bo and Sherry Means Honored for their Generosity
 It was great to see fellow board member Bo Means and his wife Sherry honored for their most recent gift to the university. During a break in Georgia’s football victory over Georgia Tech, Bo and Sherry were given a warm round of applause from the Bulldog faithful in Sanford Stadium. Loran Smith wrote an excellent article about the couple which appeared in the game program and detailed how Bo’s entrepreneurial spirit and hard work provided a foundation that presaged a very successful career.
One additional note of interest -- if you have not entered the stadium through gate six, it’s worth a visit next fall, because just inside that gate is the “Bo and Sherry Means Family Plaza” – so named as a permanent tribute to their generosity.
Board of Trustees Meeting Slated for Atlanta Next Month
Just a reminder that our next board meeting is coming up soon. It is scheduled for February 15th and 16th at the Alumni Center in Atlanta. As usual, we have a full agenda and a great deal of important business to cover in committee meetings and in the full board session. If you need additional information, Maggie McAllister can be reached at 706-542-8385 or via email at mmcallis@uga.edu. We hope you will be able to join us and look forward to seeing you there!
UGA Foundation Featured in Syndicated Newspaper Column
Well-known syndicated writer Bill Shipp wrote an interesting and entertaining column recently that you may have spotted in your local newspaper. The UGA Foundation was featured prominently in his article which noted our investment successes and the tremendous growth of the endowment. Shipp’s twice-weekly columns appear in newspapers throughout Georgia. He has been a fixture in Georgia media for years, writing columns for a number of publications and as a member of the popular “Georgia Gang” TV show.
UGA Foundation Annual Report
 We closed the year out with publication of our 2006 Annual Report and we have had a number of nice compliments from those who have seen it. We hope that you received your copy and that you enjoyed perusing its pages. If you would like additional copies, there are a few remaining and we would be happy to share them with you while the supply lasts. Just contact Chip Stewart with our communications firm at (404) 419-9224 or via email at chip@cookerly.com and he will be happy to drop one in the mail to you.
Vince and Barbara Dooley Honored
Congratulations to Vince and Barbara Dooley who were recently named winners of the annual Nell and John Wooden Humanitarian Lifetime Coaching Achievement Award. Presented by the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame, the award honors a coach for support and mentorship of his or her players and recognizes the coach’s spouse for behind-the-scenes contributions. Aside from being an active emeritus trustee of the University of Georgia Foundation, Vince has been active in many charitable endeavors, including more than three decades of work as chairman of the Georgia Easter Seals Society.
Foundation Fellows News
Jayanthi Narain of Macon, an international affairs major and Foundation Fellow, who is scheduled to graduate in May, has been awarded a prestigious Marshall Scholarship to study in the United Kingdom. The Marshall Scholarships were established by British Parliament in 1953 to honor the U.S. for its role in the Marshall Plan after World War II.
Robby Staley, a May 2006 graduate, and Foundation Fellow from Huntsville, Alabama, was recently awarded a two-year Ambassadorial Scholarship from Rotary International in his home state to pursue a master’s degree in economics in India.
Third-year Foundation Fellow Joey Kapurch has been named recipient of the Joel Eaves Scholar-Athlete Award, honoring the male student athlete at the University of Georgia with the highest grade-point average. Joey, a member of the UGA swim team, is double-majoring in cellular biology and religion.
Foundation Fellow Chris Chiego has been awarded a Clinton Scholarship to study at the University of Dubai. Chris, a second-year history and international affairs double major, will spend spring 2007 studying in the United Arab Emirates.
Jayanthi and several of our Foundation Fellows are featured on UGA’s “Amazing Students” Web site. If you would like to see what some of the university’s best and brightest students are up to, visit www.uga.edu/amazing.
It is gratifying to see how the gifts from our donors ultimately help the University of Georgia produce more outstanding students each year. Whether it is Foundation Fellowships, Ramsey Honors Scholarships or any of the many other scholarships that are funded through the generosity of our friends, with each passing school year we can see tangible results in the outstanding young people who earn degrees from the university and fan out into the world to make their marks.
With that in mind, I offer my sincere thanks for your continued support which helps make it all possible. Here’s wishing you and yours all the best for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2007.
Read Morton
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