Brent Pieper, associate vice president for philanthropy at the University of Kentucky, will take the reins of UofL’s advancement operation beginning July 10.

“We launched a comprehensive search that brought dozens of highly qualified candidates for consideration by the search committee and the university community,” said UofL President Kim Schatzel. “Brent rose to the top of the list and clearly was the best person to be the next leader of UofL’s Advancement team. I join our entire community in welcoming Brent to campus and look forward to supporting his leadership as we begin the process of preparing for the university’s first comprehensive campaign in over a decade.”

“The University of Louisville is integral to building community across Greater Louisville and throughout the Commonwealth,” Pieper said. “Philanthropy is critical to driving ambitious initiatives at UofL and will help elevate partnerships in health care, commerce and culture. I look forward to leading with a phenomenal advancement team that will be an added charge to the atmosphere of philanthropy under President Schatzel’s direction.”

Pieper has held a series of positions at Division 1 universities. At Kentucky, he developed the blueprint for and managed the daily operations of the $2.1 billion Kentucky Can: The 21st Century Campaign. Serving on the senior management team with the vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement, he managed nearly 70 direct and indirect reports in areas including major gifts and prospect research. In addition, he served as an instructor in nonprofit management at UK’s Martin School of Public Administration.

He previously had served as assistant vice president for advancement and chief operating officer, campaign at Cleveland State University; executive director of development at Ohio University, director of development-major gifts and corporate/foundations at the Indiana University Foundation and executive director of university advancement at Indiana University’s East Campus.

He also held development and communications roles in the non-profit sector, including with the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta and the 1996 Olympic Games.

Pieper holds both bachelor’s and doctor of education degrees from Indiana University. He earned a master of public administration degree from Georgia State University.

“Philanthropy is increasingly critical to the university’s mission as a premier metropolitan research institution,” Schatzel said. “From scholarships to research infrastructure to faculty support – all are positively impacted and rely on philanthropy to advance the university toward its goal of national prominence. Under Brent’s leadership, and with the support of our campus community, alumni and friends, we are poised to continue our growth as an education leader not only locally but on a national scale.”

As former UofL head football coach, now ESPN College GameDay host Lee Corso says, “Not so fast, my friend.”

Raise Some L supporters made 2020 an absolutely great year for the university’s annual day of giving, increasing donations sevenfold from 2019 to 2020.

Held over 1,798 minutes (in honor of UofL’s founding year) Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, Raise Some L 2020 blew away last year’s total with $6.5 million in gifts and pledges from donors in 40 states across the county. In 2019, the total raised was a little in excess of $926,000.

Donors to Raise Some L chose where their gifts could be designated across the campus in academics, research, community engagement and clinical care.

“I want to say a big thank you … to all of you who supported Raise Some L, our annual day of giving. You came together as one Cardinal community to give back to those areas that you are most passionate about,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “You have demonstrated to the world that we stand united together in our mission.”

Bendapudi’s video message thanking donors is available for sharing

Competitions among groups helped keep the giving spirit alive throughout the event. Winners in each category were as follows:

Leaderboard Challenge

The Leaderboard Challenge Awards go to groups raising the most donations overall. These five winners will receive additional funding to their areas thanks to an anonymous donor:

1. RaiseRed Dance Marathon
2. School of Medicine
3. College of Arts & Sciences
4. MLK Scholars Program
5. UofL Health – James Graham Brown Cancer Center

Ambassador Impact

Three hundred, seventy-seven ambassadors volunteered as fundraisers for the event, raising 558 gifts with an average gift amount of $69. These top five ambassadors will receive additional funding to the area of their choice thanks to an anonymous donor:

1. Brian Buford
2. Jennifer Koch
3. Leslie Friesen
4. Amanda LeDuke
5. Lora Haynes

Early Bird Challenge

The Early Bird Challenge winner is the group raising the most funds by midnight on Oct. 20. This year’s winner is RaiseRed Dance Marathon.

Raise Some L is sponsored annually by University Advancement. More information about donating to UofL can be found

“The University of Louisville is grateful for our generous donors who support cutting-edge research, innovations in health care and student success,” said��Jasmine��Farrier, vice president for university advancement. “These extraordinary gifts help UofL become an even greater place to learn, work and invest.”

The support includes:

• $2.5 million to the from Otto D’Olivo to create the Otto and Susan D’Olivo Endowed Research Fund for Bipolar Disorder Treatment. This gift will establish an endowment to fund important research on bipolar and other mood disorders, conditions that affect one in five Americans. The focus of research will be on the basic mechanisms of these illnesses and the development of improved treatments.
• $1 million to the from an anonymous donor to kick off renovations to bring the school’s facilities up to national standards for student learning and adaptable teaching. These renovations will allow for hands-on experiences and opportunities for innovative thinking complemented by a state-of-the-art facility. In making the gift, the donor issued a challenge to support the next generation of nurses by giving back to the School of Nursing during the day of giving campaign.
• $1 million from Dr. and Mrs. William Cheadle to fund the that is responsible for directing all aspects of the general surgery residency program. “Mary and I wanted to give back to this outstanding residency training program which enabled me to achieve a successful academic career,” Dr. Cheadle said. “We appreciate the supreme devotion to the education of our surgical residents by Drs. (Hiram) Polk, (David) Richardson, (Kelly) McMasters and others in maintaining the highest standard of excellence of the University of Louisville general surgery residency.”
• $500,000 to the from Raymond Loyd to expand the M. Krista Loyd Resource Center and to fund transportation, housing and other needs for low-income patients as well as holistic therapies for all patients. A cancer survivor himself, Loyd is challenging everyone to give back and help save lives by giving to the center during Day of Giving.
• $100,000 to the from Hank and Rebecca Conn to continue and��advance the center’s goal of renewable energy��and promoting��technologies, practices and programs that increase efficiency for energy utilization. Hank Conn issued a challenge to fellow UofL supporters: “We have committed $100,000 for UofL’s day of giving…our passion is renewable energy…we’d like to see you push your passion.”
• $30,000 from the Bezos Family Foundation and $15,000 from the C. E. and S. Foundation to the . This fund supports programming related to the Center for Creative Placehealing’s Kentucky Wellbeing Challenge, which will launch a statewide program that provides inspiration, tools and a platform for high school students to design S.T.E.A.M. solutions to some of Kentucky’s most critical health and wellbeing challenges.

Raise Some L, the University of Louisville’s annual day of giving, kicks off at 6:02 p.m. on Oct. 20, running for 1,798 minutes in honor of the founding year of the university. Learn more at .

��

His path eventually took him to other places – an insurance business in Elizabethtown, the University of Maryland, Cary, North Carolina, and Jewish Hospital in Louisville. But he often came back to UofL; since 1978, Inman has served in a variety of capacities on both the Belknap and HSC campuses.

In 2006, Inman was named VP for University Advancement for UofL and has served in that role since. At the end of this month, he will retire from the university before embarking on a new adventure as president of Kosair Charities.��

UofL News had the chance to talk to Inman about his nearly 40-year career, what kept him coming back to campus throughout those years, and what he will miss most about working for his alma mater.

UofL News: What made you want to stay here to start your career and return again after other opportunities?

Keith Inman: For me, UofL has always been home. It has been a good place to be from and a good place to be.��Early in my career I was like a lot of young people: I had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up, so change was necessary. As I learned more about myself, I knew I could make a difference here. I went to other places to learn, to get out of my comfort zone, be challenged, grow and to hone my trade. When I came back in 2006, it was with and for a purpose. That was to start and complete a campaign. One with a magnitude we had never done. It was a big goal, I knew given the time and resources we could do it.

UofL News: How have your roles at UofL differed? Are there any similarities?

Keith Inman: All have a development or fundraising purpose, so they were similar there. Each had a vision or role to be bigger, be the best and make a difference in their respective areas of focus.��In each area, we came to work wanting to improve and compete at higher levels. So as I think about it, there are many more similarities than differences.

UofL News: What has been your biggest challenge at UofL?

Keith Inman: It is hard to think about one challenge, there have been several. Obviously, the issues we are facing now may be the largest, as it seems to be dragging on and on. I am sure we will get through them, as many people are working hard to heal and put these events in the rear view mirror. We have always faced challenges with people not understanding the process of philanthropy, what it takes to be successful and the resources necessary to create a team.

UofL News: What would you consider your biggest personal accomplishment here?

Keith Inman: I don’t really think about my accomplishments, I think about our accomplishments. No one does it by themselves. There is a team behind everything. (Inman’s wife Susan) and I have raised two outstanding kids. Gary the oldest is about to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He is passionate, hard-working and driven to create. James, the youngest, is a junior at Bellarmine. He is a very good student and a great golfer. James works hard and is driven to be the best. Both are little comedians. We are very proud of each.

At UofL we have many accomplishments. The team broke 10 records in a row for fundraising production. We have established a world class Alumni Association. Advancement Services operates at a very high level with almost no mistakes. We have hired great people. When we started, Advancement was the gang that could not shoot straight; we had issues. Now we are the department that is held up as a place that is a Best Practice organization. Again, we did this together.

UofL News: What is your favorite place on campus?

Keith Inman: Crawford Gym … No wait … Actually, the Quadrangle between the Library, Life Sciences and Humanities. It is beautiful and peaceful.

UofL News: How has the role of advancement changed throughout your career, if at all?

Keith Inman: There have many changes. It used to be an art. With technology, it has also become a science. It is still a people business and one that is done face to face. It is about the human experience and it is about the relationship. It is about something bigger than you. It is not about you, it is about the donor and the project.�� It more important now than ever. As other sources of revenue and budgets decrease, this is an area that theoretically can produce an infinite amount of funding, if proper resources are supplied. It has always been about the ask and the stewardship. We all need to do a better job with the stewardship.

UofL News: What will you miss most about UofL?

Keith Inman: I know everyone says the people. I will do the same. I will miss the people. After all, what else is there? ��

Retirement reception scheduled July 19

A retirement reception will be held for Inman July 19 from 4-6 p.m. in the University Club Ballroom.��A short program will begin at 5 p.m. RSVP by Friday, July 14 via email.

Elevate will feature noteworthy initiatives from across campus and provide the opportunity for the community to engage with and give to projects meaningful to them. It will also provide an outlet to students, faculty and staff to use this platform to share their story and help impact their respective areas.

“Project pages help share the story of innovative and critical causes across campus,” said Will Holley, director of Annual Giving. “Donors will get to see the direct impact of their support almost immediately.”�� ��

Each donation goes directly to the project chosen. Gifts made through Elevate are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

“Elevate will help take the passions of our campus and bring them to life through our community’s generosity and support,” said Holley. “Whether you are interested in utilizing Elevate to launch your project or find a project that inspires you to give, this platform and our office are here to help.”

Initial projects

Seven projects will run through the month of May, with causes ranging from ROTC equipment and service learning trips to holistic autism treatment and Parkinson’s Disease.

For example, donors can choose to support the “Bridging the Gap” project, which helps UofL’s steel bridge team compete nationally.��For more than 70 years, UofL’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has evolved into one of the nation’s largest and most active student chapters. This year, our chapter aims to participate in 10 events which include the Steel Bridge Competition, Concrete Canoe, Water Quality, Environmental, Technical Papers, Surveying, Concrete Bat, Concrete Horseshoe, Civil Site Design, Balsa Wood Bridge, and Geotechnical. Donations go directly to providing civil engineering students practical hands-on training to better compete.

Donations can also help School of Medicine students provide critical medical services in Tanzania, Ecuador and Nicaragua; or help purchase books for the Reach Out and Read providers at UofL Pediatric Clinic, which��encourages families to read aloud and engage with their young children every day in an effort to improve school readiness.

More information about Elevate and its projects is .��

An award is given each year in seven categories. This year’s recipients include:

• Tammy Hale, senior program coordinator, William J. Rothwell Staff Award. The Staff Award goes to a member of the advancement services team, alumni office, administrative support, donor relations or research staff who has distinguished him/herself in service specific to development this calendar year.
• Susan Duncan, dean, Brandeis School of Law, Faculty Award. The Faculty Award recipient must be a dean, associate dean, department chair, professor or associate professor who has distinguished him/herself amongst their colleagues in service specific to development.
• Lindsay Wehr, director, Advancement Communications, Colleague Award in Annual Giving. The Award in Annual Giving goes to a recipient who is a development associate or who has an annual giving-related position or responsibility.
• Danielle Jostes, assistant director of Development, Award in Development. The Award in Development recipient must be a front-line development officer (major gifts, development directors, corporate/foundation development officers or planned giving officers).
• Matt Cable, assistant director, Advancement Communications, Alumni Award. The Alumni Award recognizes an Advancement employee who has distinguished him/herself in outstanding service specific to advancing the mission of Alumni Relations.
• Ryan Ludwigsen, programmer analyst III, Advancement Services Award. The Advancement Services Award recognizes an Advancement Services employee who demonstrates outstanding performance to the unit.
• Judy Singleton, director, Gifts Administration and Training, and Jason Diffenderfer, executive director, Belknap Development, VP Awards for Outstanding Employee of the Year. The VP Award for Outstanding Employee of the Year is selected and given by the VP of University Advancement to an Advancement employee who exemplifies outstanding service (professionalism, accountability, teamwork, productivity or innovation) to the unit and university.

Each recipient is nominated anonymously and then chosen by a committee. Recipients receive $500 and a crystal award.

To be considered, recipients should have:

• Sustained a high level of productivity and consistent quality of work.
• Demonstrated a high degree of initiative in the performance of functions.
• Displayed exceptional dependability.
• Maintained effective relationships with others.

The awards are named for UofL’s former Vice President of Development, William J. Rothwell. They have been issued since 2009. .