Florida Tomorrow and the Value of Volunteering - May 18, 2007
Good afternoon! It is a pleasure to be with you at the "Florida Tomorrow" Campaign Volunteer Retreat.
I want to begin today by telling you a story, one that gets to the very heart of the "Florida Tomorrow" campaign. It has relevance for all of us here today.
A decade or so ago, University of Florida scientists began seeking a cure for a rare condition known as "LCA." This is caused by a mutation of a gene that is critical to the workings of the eye. People with LCA are born with very poor and declining vision. By the time most reach the age 10, they are blind.
LCA is a tough disease to crack! But in 2001, UF scientists announced they had used a virus to carry healthy copies of the problematic gene into the retinas of dogs suffering from an LCA-like condition. The results made headlines. The three dogs in the experiment, all blind at birth, gained sight.
The research continued to make progress. And today, 2007, in a month or two, our scientists will launch clinical trials of this gene therapy on LCA human patients.
There is no guarantee, of course. But the scientists have a shot at giving vision to the blind patients in these trials, and eventually perhaps to thousands of other LCA sufferers. That should provide hope to millions of people with various genetic disorders -- disorders for which gene therapy may offer the only solution.
This is important to "Florida Tomorrow" because of what I will tell you next.
One of the university's good friends in Miami is a prominent public accountant and alum named Gary Gerson. It was Gary who introduced our folks at UF to his fellow Miami residents and friends, Earl and Christy Powell.
Our fundraising people got to know Earl and Christy. After a time, Earl and Christy donated $2 million to create a UF laboratory called the Powell Gene Therapy Center. The Powell Gene Therapy Center has been "pivotal" to the LCA research and to the broader development of this novel form of genetic repair.
So let me connect the dots.
Because of Earl and Christy Powell's gift, we built a pillar of support for this extremely innovative and promising research. But, the Powells might never have graced UF with their generosity were it not for Gary and his commitment to tapping his social and professional network to help us and our cause.
It was Gary's interaction with a trusted friend that underpinned this LCA research. In other words, Gary personally helped research that may literally make blind people see. He also has a hand in creating a new medical treatment that may affect millions.
This brings me to the point of my remarks today, which is simply this: Your work as "Florida Tomorrow" volunteers is incredibly important, not just because it will benefit UF, but because it will improve the world in which we live.
That is also the message I suggest you, as volunteers, bring to friends and acquaintances on behalf of UF. Let me say it again: You are asking for their support not because it helps the University of Florida, but because it will contribute to the life-changing work we do at UF.
I think most of you know the basics of the Florida Tomorrow campaign. We are hoping to raise $1.2 billion, about $400 million of which we already have in the bank. After several years in the silent phase, the public part of the campaign will kick off this fall.
$1.2 billion is a lot of money. But with smart, hardworking and influential friends like the people I see today, I know we can reach that goal.
I think many of you are aware of UF's ambition to become a top national public university. That ambition was one reason we pushed so hard during the Legislative Session for a differential tuition program that will help UF narrow its tuition gap with other major public universities.
We feel that Florida's best and brightest students deserve to attend a university in their home state ranked with the best. But, becoming top ten is not -- I repeat, not -- the goal of "Florida Tomorrow." The goal of "Florida Tomorrow" is to build the support we need to do great things.
When we do those great things, our science and our scholarship will rise to the top. When we do these great things, our rankings will take care of themselves. So, when you speak to acquaintances about making a donation to UF, tell them about what we do. And tell them who we are, and what we strive to become.
Tell them about our scientific research. Tell them about the world's largest telescope we expect to open this year in the Spanish Canary Islands, and how it may unlock the secret of how the universe came into being. Tell them about our butterfly collection, which with more than 8 million specimens, is an ever-more critical library of the world's diminishing biodiversity.
Or, tell them about our citrus research center, the world's largest and most comprehensive, and one of Florida's greatest hopes for preserving its heritage in citrus agriculture. And, tell them about our leadership in public policy. And, about the fact that we were one of the first major public universities in the nation to commit to a policy of environmental sustainability.
Tell them about how we are building only green buildings, reusing all our water for irrigation and making environmental stewardship part of our curriculum -- all with the goal of helping to create a healthier, greener planet.
Please tell them about our incredible students and faculty. About how the average GPA and SAT scores of the incoming freshman were 4.1 and 1271. Tell them that we are one of the top recruiting universities in the world for International Baccalaureate students. About how the increasing quality of our students and faculty are steadily improving the breadth and depth of our scholarship and research.
You probably won't need to tell them about our national championships in basketball and football. But, heck, toss that in there too -- if you want.
Medical research. Biotechnology. Children's literature. Sea turtle conservation. Even comics scholarship! All these are important parts of UF.
UF is a $4.35 billion institution with 34,000 employees and 50,000 students. Whatever the passion of the friend you are courting on our behalf, I know you can find a connection at UF. And, I can all but promise you, the UF link will be exciting and promising.
The message is simple: With the help you bring us, we will do great things.
Now I began this speech with a story about a volunteer who made a $2 million donation. In fact, Gary Gerson's introduction did much more than that. As many of you know, Earl Powell not only made the Powell Gene Therapy Center possible, he also agreed to serve as co-chair of the "Florida Tomorrow" campaign and is a member of our Board of Trustees. In other words, he has become not just a donor, but a vital UF ally.
I don't really expect you to find another Earl and Christy Powell. People like the Powells are treasures because they are truly rare. We appreciate whatever friends and acquaintances you lead us to, no matter the scope of their ambitions or the size of their donation.
I have heard it said that it is not necessarily the person who gives the most who counts the most. The donor who matters is the one who gives whatever amount, however small, that finally completes the picture and enables something great to happen.
OK, I want to end this speech with another story about some more volunteers and the difference they made. I have two women in mind -- Joan Ruffier and Linda Wells. Joan, a businesswoman, and Linda, an attorney, are both longtime UF supporters and volunteers who serve on the UF Foundation Board. Several years ago, they approached a mutual friend, Winter Park developer Jim Pugh, about donating the funds to renovate Newell Hall.
They chose that project because Jim has a passion for historic preservation. Jim liked the idea, but for various reasons, the project fell through. As it happens, Joan, Linda, Jim Pugh and his wife, Alexis, are all friends of former U.S. Senator and Florida Governor, Bob Graham. When Sen. Graham retired, they all began having conversations about UF. One thing led to another. After a time, and thanks to the inspired suggestion of a UF faculty member, the Bob Graham Center for Public Service was born.
Sen. Graham has long felt that young people interested in public leadership receive little assistance, despite the obvious importance of their aspirations. The center will address this need. Its goal is to train the next generation of Florida's and the Nation's leaders, producing graduates with both a strong public service ethic and a passion for governing.
Jim Pugh, who was a fraternity brother of Sen. Graham's at UF in the 1950's, wound up giving $5 million for the center's new home, Pugh Hall. Today, construction of Pugh Hall is well under way. It will be finished this year. And, this past academic year, nearly two dozen students began taking classes toward a Certificate in Public Leadership, the first incarnation of what will likely become a new major.
One of those UF students was 20-year-old Erika Walters from Fort Myers. Erika is a pre-med student double-majoring in biology and political science. After a year in the certificate program, she is considering pursuing a field that desperately needs fresh ideas and leadership: public health and health policy.
As Erika says, "I think it's very important for people to know they are not victims. That they can help create new policies. That their votes matter; that things matter." For Erika, Joan Ruffier's and Linda Well's efforts have mattered.
The Bob Graham center isn't even in its home yet, but Joan and Linda have already helped to mold one young person's passions -- and potentially all of our futures.
I am grateful to you. I assure you, your work will also matter.
Thank you.
Bernie Machen