Greetings from the Kean University Foundation!

We are excited to share with you the latest edition of our eNewsletter. In keeping with previous publications, this eNewsletter is sent out quarterly to friends and members of the Kean Community, alike, including content related to the many ways we can all support Kean University, as well as options available for making a gift to the Foundation. We look forward to keeping you updated on the Foundation’s activities and the tremendous impact of its valued supporters!

Kean University Foundation Names New Board Chair: William “Bill” Loehning ‘70 H’15

The Kean University Foundation has named William “Bill” Loehning ‘70, ‘15H, a retired investment company executive and proud Kean alumnus, as its new chairperson.

A former executive vice president for Fidelity Financial Advisor Solutions (FFAS), a division of Fidelity Investments, Loehning was named “Outstanding Alumnus” by Kean in 2011 for his longstanding support of the University.

“The gifts the Kean University Foundation receives from supporters are a testament to the confidence in the future and the continued success of Kean University,” he said. “I am honored to be named the next chairman of the Foundation Board of Directors, and I look forward to sharing our future success with the Kean family and larger community.”

As a Kean student, Loehning served as student government president. Since his time on campus, he has been a generous benefactor to his alma mater. The Loehning Conference Center in the Green Lane Academic Building was named in his honor in 2015.

Loehning returned to Kean for a visit in October and attended Homecoming with Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D.

“Bill is such a strong supporter of this University and our students,” Repollet said. “With his expertise and dedication to Kean, I know the Foundation is poised to grow and provide additional support to our students and faculty while we climb higher as New Jersey’s first urban research university.”

Loehning joined Fidelity in 1987 as an account executive for the insurance business and subsequently served as relationship manager and regional sales manager for insurance. In 1995, he was promoted to senior vice president and national sales manager with responsibility for sales, marketing and relationship management for insurance company clients as well as prospects in the United States and Canada.

In 2002, he was promoted to executive vice president with responsibility for distribution to the institutional clients serviced by FFAS, including insurance companies, banks and corporate cash. Before joining Fidelity, Loehning was a general manager with New York Life Insurance Company.

Loehning received his bachelor’s degree from Kean University. He earned both his Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant designations from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He has been a member of several boards of directors, including the boards of Roger Williams Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, and the Insured Retirement Institute in Washington, DC. He is also chairman of the advisor board of Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Massachusetts and Rhode Island and serves on the executive board in Boston.

He was inducted into the Insurance Retirement Institute Hall of Fame in 2009, the first person from an asset management company to receive this honor.

The father of three children, Loehning was also named Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association and the Boston Father’s Day Council in 2013. He and his wife Doris live in Jupiter, Florida.

Loehning replaces Steve Fastook ‘06H who recently left the role as chairman to become chair of the Kean University Board of Trustees.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT:
In Memory of Medallion Society Member
Clifford L. “Cliff” Elling

The Kean University Foundation has recently received a bequest from the estate of Clifford L. “Cliff” Elling who passed away in his home at the age of 88 on September 22, 2021. A lifelong New Jersey native, Cliff led a robust life as an academic, veteran, businessman, volunteer, and enthusiastic member of his community.

Born in Somerville, New Jersey, on April 4, 1924, Cliff was the only child of Louis and Clara Elling. He lived in Somerville and then Bernardsville, New Jersey, before relocating to Bridgewater, New Jersey, in 1987. Cliff graduated from Somerville High School in 1942 and received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, where he was a Phi Beta Kappa member. From 1943 to 1946, he served as a member of the United States Air Force during World War II. Cliff continued his education following the war and earned his Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1949.

Mr. Elling was the president and owner/operator of Elling Brothers, a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning firm with locations in both Somerville and Branchburg, New Jersey, a company which was founded by his father and uncle in 1950. While operating Elling Brothers, he serviced over 1,000 facilities, including Johnson & Johnson, Ortho Pharmaceutical, American Hoerbst, and Somerville High School, as well as a number of other schools, hospitals, and businesses throughout the state. Cliff was a member of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) where he served on various committees and boards, including the education committee, management methods committee, board of directors, jurisdictional disputes committee, and the energy committee. He was recipient of the MCAA Distinguished Service Award in 1984.

Mr. Elling was also an active member of his community. He served as the parks and recreation commissioner for Bridgewater Township from 1960 to 1971, director of the Greater Somerset County Chamber of Commerce from 1976 to 1983, and director of the Somerset Hills YMCA from 1975 to 1981 from which he received the Distinguished Volunteer Award in 1983. A member of the New Jersey Advisory Council on Technology from 1983 to 1986 and the New Jersey Plumbing Subcode Committee from 1983 to 1985, he was also listed in the 1977-78 edition of Who’s Who in Finance and Industry.

Cliff was an assistant professor at Kean College of New Jersey from 1982 to 1984, where he previously received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in 1975. He later served as a member of the Kean University Foundation Board of Directors in 2001.

Mr. Elling was a benevolent annual donor during his lifetime and the gift received via his planned estate, resulting in his membership in the Medallion Society, to Kean University’s Nancy Thompson Library will continue to impact and benefit Kean students for generations.

The Kean University Foundation would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the family and estate of Mr. Elling for this generous contribution.

For more information about making a bequest to the Kean University Foundation through a will or trust and becoming a member of the Medallion Society, please visit www.keanlegacy.org or call (908) 316-8920.

“This past year was
another highly successful
one in the life of the Kean
University Foundation
because of the dedication
and commitment of
our loyal donors
and volunteers.”

A Message from Bill Miller, Chief Executive Officer of the Kean University Foundation

This past year was another highly successful one in the life of the Kean University Foundation because of the dedication and commitment of our loyal donors and volunteers. Your generous support is preparing students for success in the global marketplace and providing tools for research, development and growth.

Our strategic plan this past year included a central initiative of Friend Raising as we believe the continuing support of our alumni, friends and corporate partners, coupled with our shared commitment to providing a world-class education, will be key to Kean University’s success now and in the future.

As I reflect on our progress, I am pleased to report that we recently experienced an important series of milestones. A few highlights follow:

• Last year, in the midst of a global pandemic, our donor count increased by more than five hundred (500);

• The Foundation awarded a total of $1,117,219 in scholarship support, reflecting a fifty-four percent (54%) increase in student aid;

• The average gift of $2,340 is well above the industry standard of $1,600;

• The Main Endowment saw an increase of close to thirty percent (+26.9%) on a netof- fee basis for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021; and

• Unrestricted support to Kean’s Annual Giving Program increased by thirty-seven percent (37%) over the prior year.

Among our many achievements, I mention the aforementioned points purposefully. It is especially gratifying that our growth has resulted from both an uptick in recruiting activities as well as a surge in our retention efforts. Most certainly, our continued success is due to our exemplary students, staff and faculty, whose resilience, hard work, grace, and strength have been truly remarkable.

Of course, we cannot do any of this without you. Your extraordinary support and generosity, especially in these unprecedented times, is having a profound and very positive impact. At Kean, we are reaching for the highest levels of distinction and transforming lives. The time to be a Cougar is today!

So, on behalf of our students, I thank you for your extraordinary generosity. I can assure you that it is making a difference.

All my very best,

Bill Miller

Kean University Holds First Annual Jazz and Roots Music Festival

Rounding-out a week’s-worth of exciting Homecoming 2021 events and activities, Kean University hosted its first annual Jazz & Roots Music Festival on Sunday, October 17, 2021 – a surprisingly chilly fall day! The free outdoor concert was open to the entire Kean community, as well as the community-atlarge, and took place on The Lawn at Enlow Hall in Hillside, New Jersey. Those in attendance were invited to bring a blanket and a picnic basket while they enjoyed the festivities, while food trucks also lined the perimeter for those wishing to partake in a variety of freshly prepared foods.

Presented in conjunction with internationally acclaimed bassist/producer Mike Griot, the festival featured fantastic music from performing artists JSWISS, featuring Casey Benjamin and Mark Whitfield, the Dave Stryker Quarter, and the evening’s headliner– the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience.

There was no shortage of Cougar pride as more than 2,000 people were entertained by the sounds of terrific jazz, rap and hip-hop.

The Kean University Foundation was thrilled to have the opportunity to support this inaugural event and to offer our generous donors a true “VIP Experience” replete with luxury tent, lounge-style seating and a selection of refreshments.

Meet the Newest Members of The Kean University Foundation Board of Directors

The previous year has been a year like no other, and the Kean University Foundation, along with the rest of the world, was not immune to adapting and determining the most efficient manner in which to maintain “business as usual.” As we navigated uncharted territory, however, focus on our mission, and our determination to assist Kean University students, faculty and staff, never wavered. On the contrary, the challenges encountered served as distinct reminders of the importance of the role of the Foundation.

Part of that focus has included the expansion of the Kean University Foundation’s Board of Directors, a distinguished group of professionals who regularly offer their time and expertise in support of the University. To that extent, we are pleased to introduce the two newest members: Brian Murphy ’97 and Marlon Mathews, both of whom will undoubtedly be invaluable partners in support of Kean University.

Brian Murphy ’97

Mr. Murphy is a Kean alumnus who is currently a Senior Vice President at Coyne Public Relations. He is a seasoned communications professional with more than twenty years of experience and has overseen some of Coyne PR’s most successful public relations initiatives. Murphy is excited to leverage his expertise in integrated communications to help the Kean University Foundation realize its mission of providing an affordable, accessible world-class education that prepares students for entering the workforce.

“Kean University really helped pave the way for me to be where I am today,’ said Murphy. “I’m both humbled and honored to be joining the Board and look forward to working with the other board members to help drive the Foundation forward in its quest to be known and celebrated across campus for its philanthropic work.”

Marlon Mathews

As Director in Credit Risk at MUFG, Mr. Mathews manages $9.2 billion of credit risk for 45 telecom and sports finance companies. He reviews credit requests and trading limits, plays an integral role in the documentation process, approves final risk rating of borrowers and transactions after assessing credit profile, structure, and risks and mitigants, and ultimately determines a borrower’s final risk rating. Marlon maintains a working knowledge of the current regulatory environment and effectively manages junior staff members maximizing process efficiency.

“I am looking forward to working with the Board,” said Mathews, “and leveraging my experience to help the Foundation and Kean University achieve its goals.”

In his spare time, among other interests, Mathews is an avid golfer who enjoys hitting the links as often as time permits.

For more information about the Kean University Foundation Board of Directors, please visit: https://www.keanfoundation.org/foundation/board

"The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet." – William Gibson

Did you know you can make a gift of life insurance in support of the Kean University Foundation and receive some very nice tax benefits?

Do you have several life insurance policies? You might own more insurance than you need. The reason for originally purchasing the policy may no longer exist. If so, you could be over-insured.

• Did you originally purchase a policy years ago when your children were young but now they are adults?

• Did you buy a policy that your spouse could use to pay off mortgage debt but now you no longer own that home, or are living debt-free?

• Do you or your spouse own life insurance that was originally purchased by an employer?

Did you know you can use old or unnecessary life insurance policies in new ways to achieve your goals? There are a variety of ways you can use your life insurance to support the Kean University Foundation.

• You can give your unneeded policy to support our students today.

• You can name the Kean University Foundation as a beneficiary of a policy you still want to maintain.

• You can transfer your policy into a charitable remainder trust or other instrument and receive income and tax benefits based on its value.

For more information, please contact Mark Urban, Interim Chief Development Officer, via email at murban@keanfoundation.org or by phone at (908) 316-8927.

We hope you will take a moment to exhale and reflect on 2021 with gratitude and pride. We, as members of the Kean community, have shared ambitious goals, displayed resilience in the face of challenges and witnessed many of our dreams become successful realities.

We have truly been "Creating Opportunities" for our wonderful students!

It is our collective hard work, immense passion and unwavering commitment to equity and opportunity that makes Kean University what we are – and we appreciate each and every one of you.

If you have not already done so, please consider making a gift or pledge today to the Kean Fund for Excellence and help us continue to create opportunities for our deserving Kean University students.

Questions? Comments? Info?

Kean University Foundation, Inc.
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, New Jersey 07083
908-316-8920 | 908-316-8921 (Fax)
kuf@keanfoundation.org 
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