If someone asked University of Arkansas at Little Rock Chancellor Joel Anderson what Bob Denman has been worth to him, he’d say “at least $103 million.”

The retired vice chancellor for advancement spearheaded the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, which lasted 10 years and raised $103.4 million.

Anderson highlighted the campaign as one of Denman’s greatest accomplishments during his 15-year career at UALR, as colleagues, friends and family members wished Denman well at his retirement reception March 31 at the Bailey Alumni Center.

“If you think about undertaking a $100-million comprehensive campaign at an institution where it had not been done before and to launch it before all the infrastructure was in place, that was bold,” Anderson said. “Bob really was the person who was most responsible for that campaign and its great success.”

Bob Denman joined UALR in 2001 as the associate vice chancellor and director of development.

“Retiring from UALR has been bittersweet,” Denman said. “I never doubted the time was right, but, as the time approached, there was a lot of anxiety. It was kind of like graduating from college. I am proud of the accomplishments but sad the journey is over. There will be a lot to miss: great colleagues, generous donors, and the thrill of new accomplishments.”

Related: 2016 Taste of Little Rock to honor Bob and Peggy Denman

He left a successful broadcast television career after Charles Hathaway, UALR’s chancellor at the time, asked him a simple question: Are you adding value to anyone’s life?

“Those seven words changed my life,” Denman said. “They caused me to leave a job I never thought that I would to come here.”

While at UALR, Denman helped manage the largest gifts in the institution’s history, including a $22.4 million donation from Jack Stephens that led to construction of the Jack Stephens Center, and a recent $20.3 million gift from the Windgate Charitable Foundation that will be used to build a new center for art and design on campus. In addition, the campus faculty and staff participation in campus giving rose from 6 percent to 70 percent, one of the highest in the nation.

Denman’s employees describe him as an empathetic leader who was dedicated to helping his employees succeed in life.

“I’ve known Bob for the 11 years I have been working at UALR as a mentor, as a leader, and, as he retires, as a friend,” said Andrea Angel, senior director of development. “Bob is an amazing boss. He leads by example and always leads you on a path for success.”

Clayton Andrews, an annual giving and membership associate, said Denman has been “really great to work for” during Andrews’ five years with the UALR Alumni Association.

“He has been a tremendous leader, and he is a boss that you enjoy working for,” Andrews said.

Denman’s hard work on behalf of the university was driven by his desire to help students gain a college education, Anderson said.

“Bob always loved the students and was concerned about their welfare and making the campus really hospitable for them,” Anderson said. “He was always raising scholarship dollars so that those for whom money was a barrier would still be able to gain an education.”

During his time as a university leader, Denman, a 1974 UALR graduate, was president of the university Alumni Association and chairman of the Foundation Fund Board. He was a 1993 winner of the UALR Alumni Association Presidents Award, an annual honor that recognizes a graduate who pairs career success with dedication to the university.

“I think he has been one of the best hires UALR has ever made,” said Sheila Castin, who now chairs the Foundation Fund Board after Denman’s tenure. “He has made a big difference in the way development was handled. His heart was always with UALR, and that makes a huge difference.”

In addition to being a mentor for his employees, Denman was willing to help anyone at UALR who knocked on his door.

Aresh Assadi, a counselor at UALR Counseling Services, recalled that Denman spoke in one of his graduate classes about fundraising. Afterward, he sought Denman’s advice on how to raise money for Suicide Prevention Week events.

At the time, Assadi was wondering how he could plan a week’s worth of events with only a $1,000 budget, especially considering he estimated he needed $15,000. With Denman’s help, Assadi received donations and in-kind gifts from many Little Rock-area companies in support of Suicide Prevention Week.

“He guided me and served as a mentor on how to approach fundraising,” Assadi said. “I had zero experience in fundraising. Now our office is raising between $10,000 and $15,000 a year.”

In 2014, Denman served as the UALR interim director of athletics — one of many roles he filled with the university through the years.

Denman’s wife of nearly 44 years, Peggy, insists that “Bob loved being interim athletic director, but he won’t admit it.”

Now that Denman has retired, he is going to spend more time with Peggy, his “best friend,” playing his beloved sport of golf (a pastime that was recognized by Anderson’s retirement gift of UALR golf clubs), and playing with his grandchildren.

His 12-year-old granddaughter, Nadia Denman, is looking forward to having more time with her grandfather. She described Denman as a “funny grandpa” who “can tolerate my jokes most of the time.”

Nadia, who wants to be an architect, said Denman “loved his work at UALR because it helps enrich students’ lives.”

Even though he has retired, Denman won’t be far from UALR. He will begin working part time for UALR’s Office of Alumni and Development in May, and he is also chairing an advisory committee to assist in the search for the next chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Chancellor Joel Anderson will retire in June following a 13-year tenure as chancellor and a 45-year career at the university.

“Luck may not be as random as it seems,” Denman said. “Luck continues to find me. I’ve already been hired by my new boss, Christian O’Neal, (Denman’s replacement as vice chancellor for advancement) starting in May. I look forward to continue service with the place I love.”