UALR deans and key administrators joined Chancellor Joel E. Anderson in making lead comprehensive campaign gifts and pledges totaling $943,560 to support University programs and scholarships, Bob Denman, executive director of development, announced today.

“When the final dust settles, the total will be over $1 million,” he said. “That figure is very impressive to our core constituency.”

The donations from 20 campus executives came after a November dinner at the chancellor’s home hosted by Haskell Dickinson of McGeorge Construction Co., chair of the upcoming campaign. Dickinson laid out a case for making early gifts towards the campaign. The result: 100 percent participation.

“This kind of financial commitment from the people who best know the quality of education, research, and community development work going on at UALR sends a powerful signal to corporations, business, foundations, and the general public that UALR, its programs, and its people are worthy of support,” Dickinson said.

News of the $1 million commitment comes on the heels of the University’s most successful campus campaign. Five years after 6.5 percent of UALR employees contributed to the campus campaign, the 2006 campaign resulted in a 45 percent participation rate raising 1.1 million since 2002.

“This level of support from members of the UALR family gives tremendous support to the team of community leaders who will make the case to the community and region that the future of economic development in central Arkansas depends upon the success of UALR,” Anderson said. “In the 21st Century, economic success won’t depend on supplies of cheap labor or plentiful natural resources. Regions that succeed in this new age are those with universities that can incubate new commercial ideas from university classrooms and laboratories and create hubs of innovation to generate new jobs.”

UALR leaders contributing to the campaign are Anderson, Deborah Baldwin, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Studies; Provost David Belcher, Angi Brenton, dean of the College of Professional Studies; Denman, Wanda Dole, dean of the Ottenheimer Library; Charles Donaldson, vice chancellor for educational and student services; Mike Gealt, dean of the College of Science and Math; Chuck Goldner, dean of the William H. Bowen School of Law; Mary Good, dean of the College of Information Science and Systems Engineering; Ibrahim Nisanci, vice provost of research and dean of the graduate school; Athletic Director Chris Peterson; Sandra Robertson, chief of staff and director of the budget; Angela Sewall, dean of the College of Education; Hugh Sherman, dean of the College of Business; Lucian Shockey, vice chancellor for finance and administration; Bill Walker, vice chancellor for advancement; Janette Watkins, director of human relations; Jeannie Winston, chief information officer for computing services; and Mark Workman, dean of extended programs.