MANHATTAN — Paul and Sandra Edgerley, Brookline, Massachusetts, have given $20 million to the College of Business Administrationat Kansas State University. The gift is to support the college’s recently adopted five-year strategic plan and vision to become a transformational leader in business thought and education through knowledge creation, innovative programs and extraordinary experiences.
Paul and Sandra Edgerley photo courtesy KState
According to a media release from KSU, in order to realize the full benefits of the strategic plan, the college seeks to double its endowment from $50 million to $100 million by 2021, and the Edgerley gift gets them nearly halfway to that goal. The Edgerleys’ gift funds a new Digital Learning Repository, a new Center for Financial Analysis, and enhances efforts in four key areas: corporate engagement, student recruitment, branding and marketing of the college, and data-driven decision making.
“Paul and Sandra Edgerley have made a truly transformative investment in the future of the College of Business Administration,” said Kevin Gwinner, Edgerley family dean of the College of Business Administration. “However, more than just investing, they have helped us craft a strategic plan to fulfill our vision of being the premier business school in the region. This plan is metric driven, sets specific goals and provides for accountability. This investment will allow us to continue to elevate the educational quality, reputation and stature of the college. Further, it is serving to motivate others to consider how they can play a role in this transformation as we drive toward doubling the endowment of the college from $50 million to $100 million over the next three years.”
The college has set ambitious strategic goals for its future, and the increased funds will empower the college to get results. Here are a few of these goals:
• Increase the four-year graduation rate.
• Grow the college by 500 students, including increasing the multicultural student population.
• Increase engagement between students and companies in terms of quantity and quality.
• Increase the number of students participating in internships.
• Increase the number of job offers to students.
•Increase the average starting salaries of graduates.
Paul Edgerley received his degree in accounting from Kansas State University in 1978. In 2004, Edgerley was named the Distinguished Business Leader of the Year by the college and was inducted into the college’s Business Leaders Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was inducted into the college’s Accounting Hall of Fame. Edgerley serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Business. Paul Edgerley is a managing director and co-founder of VantEdge, a private investment group focused on building excellent companies. He previously served as a managing director at Bain Capital from 1990 until his retirement in January 2016. Since his retirement, he continues to serve as a senior advisor to Bain Capital and a number of Bain’s portfolio companies.
“We are proud to have worked with Paul and Sandra Edgerley on this incredible gift to the College of Business Administration,” said Greg Willems, president and CEO of the KSU Foundation. “In addition to this recent investment, the Edgerleys have made a number of other gifts to the business college, funding scholarships, endowing the dean’s position and faculty chairs, funding the development of the college’s career counseling program, and they made a cornerstone donation toward the construction of the college’s new building. The Edgerleys’ generosity and impact will substantially elevate outcomes for our students and companies looking for premier talent. We are truly fortunate to have their friendship and a shared vision for the future of our great university.”
The Edgerleys see their investments in Kansas State University as a way to give back and to advance future endeavors.
“Sandy and I are great believers in the importance of the business college strategic plan and see this as a unique opportunity to give back to the university that has had such a profound impact on my life,” Paul Edgerley said. “We believe funding the college strategy will continue to transform the business college, ensuring K-State business students get a differential education, find great jobs and ultimately have successful and meaningful lives and careers. These students will become tomorrow’s leaders. They will build successful businesses, create good jobs for Kansas residents and be successful alumni who, 20 years from now, will give of their time and money to support future generations of Kansas State students.”
The College of Business Administration’s comprehensive vision for success is represented by five strategic pillars: build and maintain a world-class learning facility, offer scholarships to attract the best students and address affordability, provide innovative and applied educational programs and experiences, support inspirational faculty and staff, and ensure students find and are prepared for extraordinary careers.
The Edgerleys’ gift not only benefits the College of Business Administration but also Kansas State University as a whole.
“Paul and Sandra Edgerley exemplify the generosity of the K-State family,” said Richard Myers, university president. “Their investment in the success of College of Business Administration faculty, students and programs not only elevates the college but brings prestige to the university and helps propel K-State toward being nationally recognized as a Top 50 public research university.”