- The President’s Circle is Avila University’s way of paying tribute and expressing gratitude to those individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the university by recognizing donors who commit $1,000 or more during each academic year.
- These leadership gifts allow Avila to meet the most important needs of our students.
2023-24 President’s Circle Donors
Anonymous
Dr. Alexandra & Mr. Bill Adams
Dr. Ibraheem T. Badejo ’84
Mrs. Cortney Patterson Barton
Mr. Joseph T. Brennan*
Mrs. Kitty Brinkman
Mr. Ted & Mrs. Annie K. Brooks
Mrs. Jean ’76, ’18 & Mr. William M. ’18 Buchanan
Dr. James & Mrs. Hanen Burkee
Mr. Thomas & Mrs. Patty Burns
Mr. Heath Chapman
James & Mary Ida Compton Foundation
Mr. William & Mrs. Amy Conway
Mrs. Aggie C. ’88 & Mr. Kenneth Cooper
Mrs. Virginia L. ’58 & Dr. Thomas A. Coppinger
Cowles Fletcher Living Trust
Cunningham Family Fund
Mr. Vincent & Mrs. Amy Davenport
Mrs. Mary L. ’04 & Mr. Jeffrey C. Dietrich
Dr. Susan & Mr. Bob Ellis
Mrs. Thelma L. Emerson ’49
Mr. Joseph T. ’16 & Mrs. Susan Fahey
Mrs. Mary E. ’58 & Mr. James P. Fern
Dr. Charles L. Flynn
Ms. Cecilia A. Fogarty
Mr. Robert N. ’79 & Mrs. Bonnie D. French
*Deceased
Ms. Lisa A. Gioia ’81
Mr. Lance Goldberg
Mr. Richard & Dr. Charlene Gould, CSJAMr. Kenneth & Mrs. Marilyn Hager
Mrs. Carol A. ’84 & Mr. James A. Huber
Mr. Donald E. Jackson
Mr. Tom & Amanda Jandris
S. Mary Frances Johnson, CSJ, Ph.D.
Dr. Stacy L. Keith Ed.D.
Ms. Sara C. Kline
Mr. Gregory M. Kratofil, Jr. & Mrs. Kristin Kratofil
Mrs. Susan C. Langenheim ’61
Mr. Alan W. & Mrs. Jane C. Lankford
Mr. Vercie & Mrs. Lisa Lark
Mr. Drew LeLieu
Mr. Gregory A. ’85 & Mrs. Denise Lever
Dr. Maureen A. Lillich ’81 & Mr. Tony Venegoni
Mr. Stuart D. ’86 & Mrs. Anne Lindeman
Mr. Cameron ’88 & Mrs. Ellen S. Martin
Mr. Tom & Mrs. Sharon McCullough
Mr. John & Mrs. Sheila McGivern
Mr. & Mrs. David Mehrer
Mrs. Sarah L. Merten ’64
Mr. Sean & Mrs. Karen Miller
Mr. Michael Morrissey
Mrs. Mary Morrow-Bax ’64 & Mr. Frank Bax
Ms. Tonya L. Mourning ’02, ’08, ’11
Newcomer Family Foundation
Mr. Timothy ’95 & Mrs. Shelley O’Brien
Mrs. Mary C. Oddo-Bridges ’63
Ms. Christine M. Ojile ’82
Dr. Debra L. Olson-Morrison
Mr. Joseph M. & Mrs. Patricia ’64 Owens
Ms. Courtney Patterson Barton
Mr. Gregory & Mrs. Laurie ’85 Peckham
Dr. Brenda S. Prince ’78, ’86
Patricia Reardon Family Charitable Fund
Mr. H. Wayne Riley ’83
Mr. Jim & Mrs. Lisa ’81 Sackuvich
In Thanksgiving to the Blessed Seelos Fund
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Dr. Ron & Mrs. Suzanne Slepitza
Ms. Janet Smith
Phil & Melinda Smith Family Foundation
Mr. John Sullivan & Ms. Paula Stokes
Mr. Michael Sullivan
Mr. Shawn & Mrs. Karla Summe
Ms. Kathleen Thompson-Brown CSJA
Mr. Tim & Mrs. Amy Waris
Mr. Mark Watson
Mrs. Mary L. ’79 & Mr. David Wieliczka
Mr. Leon & Mrs. Theresa ’82 Witt
Lifetime Giving Society
Membership in Avila University’s Lifetime Giving Society is the university’s most prestigious donor recognition. Through the society, we honor the leadership and extraordinary support of those alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff who have given generously to Avila over many years – often through their entire lives, through bequests, gifts that support academic programs, our students, our faculty, and the campus itself.
The names of the levels of our Annual Giving Society were assigned to celebrate and honor the rich heritage of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, memorializing the pioneers who created the community in our founding city of Le Puy, France, and those that played a significant role in the establishment of the order in the United States.
In 1646, Jesuit priest, Father Jean Pierre Médaille went where Jesuits were not allowed to go, gathering a group of women and helping them become a formal religious congregation. His partner in this endeavor, Bishop de Maupas, knowing that others had been thwarted in a similar plan, approved the apostolic congregation to serve in his diocese—a decision that expressed a counter-cultural appreciation of how women were capable of serving in the church. These first sisters, donned their widows’ garb and took to the streets to discern what God was asking of them, to serve their Dear Neighbor.
The sisters continued their mission until the French Revolution caused them to disband
Membership in Avila University’s Lifetime Giving Society is the university’s most prestigious donor recognition. Through the society, we honor the leadership and extraordinary support of those alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff who have given generously to Avila over many years – often through their entire lives, through bequests, gifts that support academic programs, our students, our faculty, and the campus itself.
The names of the levels of our Annual Giving Society were assigned to celebrate and honor the rich heritage of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, memorializing the pioneers who created the community in our founding city of Le Puy, France, and those that played a significant role in the establishment of the order in the United States.
In 1646, Jesuit priest, Father Jean Pierre Médaille went where Jesuits were not allowed to go, gathering a group of women and helping them become a formal religious congregation, what we know today as the Sisters of St. Joseph. His partner in this endeavor, Bishop Henri de Maupas, knowing that others had been thwarted in a similar plan, approved the apostolic congregation to serve in his diocese—a decision that expressed a counter-cultural appreciation of how women were capable of serving in the church. These first sisters, donned their widows’ garb and took to the streets to discern what God was asking of them, to serve their Dear Neighbor.
The sisters continued their mission until the French Revolution caused them to disband. After the revolution ended in 1799, a heroic woman, Jeanne Fontbonne, who had narrowly escaped the guillotine herself, re-founded the Sisters of St. Joseph at Lyon, France. She was known in the congregation as “Mother St. John” Fontbonne, and served as the first Superior General. By 1836 the first group of sisters came to the United States from Lyon, answering a call from Bishop Joseph Rosati to establish a school to teach deaf mute children.
. After the revolution ended in 1799, a heroic woman, Jeanne Fontbonne, who had narrowly escaped the guillotine herself, re-founded the Sisters of St. Joseph at Lyon, France. She was known in the congregation as “Mother St. John” Fontbonne, and served as the first Superior General. By 1836 the first group of sisters came to the United States from Lyon, answering a call from Bishop Joseph Rosati to establish a school to teach deaf mute children.
Fr. Jean Pierre Medaille Society
($1,000,000+)
Mr. Joseph T. Brennan
Mrs. Jean M. ’76, ’18 & Mr. William M. ’18 Buchanan
Mr. Joseph T. ’16 & Mrs. Susan Fahey
Fahey Family Foundation
Forster-Powers Charitable Trust
Mrs. Vita M. Goppert
The Goppert Foundation
The J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation, Inc.
Jack F. and Glenna Y. Wylie Foundation
The Kresge Foundation
Mr. Thomas A. & Mrs. Sharon E. McCullough
McCullough Family Foundation
The McDonnell Foundation, Inc.
Mrs. Mary Beth Meyers
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
The Sunderland Foundation
Mrs. Rose Sarli Teicher
Victor E. Speas Foundation
Vita Goppert Charitable Trust
Ms. Dorothy A. Whitfield ’55
Mr. Jack F. Wylie
Mother St. John Fontbonne Society ($500,000-$999,999)
Mrs. Billie B. Burandt
The McGee Foundation
Mrs. Philomena Muntzel
Mr. Jim & Mrs. Lisa ’81 Sackuvich
Bishop Henri De Maupas Society ($250,000-$499,999)
Mrs. Kathleen W. Andrews
Ms. Mary Jo Bowman ’58
Mr. & Mrs. Jack U. Brady
Brisley Scholarship Loan Fund
Mrs. Paddi Browne Sullivan
David T. Beals III Charitable Trust
Mrs. Carol J. DeFeo ’68
Mrs. Terence L. ’79 & Mr. G. Robert Fisher
Mr. Kenneth & Mrs. Marilyn Hager
The Hearst Foundation, Inc.
Mr. Robert & Mrs. Michelle Hunter
Mr. Kevin F. & Mrs. Patricia D. ’00 Lyon
Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation
Menorah Legacy Foundation
Oppenstein Brothers Foundation
Roderick J. and Jo Anne Cyr Foundation
Dr. Ronald A. & Mrs. Suzanne Slepitza
Ms. Sharon K. Tiley ’80
US Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph
Victor E. & Caroline E. Schutte Fdn – 1959 Trust
Mr. Thomas & Mrs. Geraldine Zarda
Bishop Joseph Rosati Society
($100,000-$249,999)
Mr. Don H. & Mrs. Christine Alexander
Arvin Gottlieb Charitable Foundation
Baptist Trinity Lutheran Legacy Foundation
Mrs. Kathleen M. Borserine
Mrs. Carroll B. Burger
Mr. John R. Colson
Constance M. Cooper Charitable Foundation
Mrs. Virginia L. ’58 & Dr. Thomas A. Coppinger
Mr. Kevin R. & Mrs. Constance M. Fahey
The Francis Family Foundation
Mr. David W. ’76 & Mrs. Geri Frantze
H & R Block Foundation
Dr. Robert F. Hartsook, JD, EdD
J.B. Reynolds Foundation
John J. Sullivan, Jr. Charitable Foundation
Kenneth V. & Marilyn J. Hager Family Fund
Mrs. Rose M. Maher
The Massman Foundation
Miss Mary Jo McCann
Mr. John & Mrs. Nancy McCarthy
McCarthy Family Foundation
Mrs. Nadine F. McGurren ’61
McMeel Family Foundation
Mrs. Sarah L. Merten ’64
Mrs. Carol Miller
Mr. Robert E. Miller
Miller-Mellor Association
Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation
Ms. Christine M. Ojile ’82
Orscheln Industries Foundation, Inc.
Ms. Barbara Pendleton
Seelos (In Thanksgiving to Blessed Seelos Fund)
St. Joseph Medical Center
Mrs. Margaret J. Thompson ’54
Mrs. Mary Agnes Thornhill
Reverend Michael E. Tierney
Mr. Rick & Mrs. Coleen Weller
Mr. James & Dr. Sue King Willcox ’79
LePuy Society ($50,000-$99,999)
Anonymous
Anonymous
Dr. Ibraheem T. Badejo ’84
Mrs. Karen K. ’94 & Mr. William B. Baum
Dr. Phyliss ’80, ’81, Ph.D. & Mr. Robert Bernstein
Boxcar Local Three Forty Eight Society
Brain McCann Family Foundation
Mrs. Judith L. Budde ’77
Mrs. Jessie Fuller Clark & Mr. Steven Clark
Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust
Mr. Elwood & Dr. Madeline ’75 Courtright
Mrs. Elizabeth D. Curran
Mrs. Margaret H. Daley ’62
Dave & Dee Dillon Charitable Fund
Mr. John & Mrs. Kathryn ’41 Dierks
Dr. Ellen M. Dukes Ph.D. ’71
Mrs. Anne L. ’75 & Mr. Stephen D. Dunn
LePuy Society continued…
Dunn Family Foundation
Estate of Elizabeth A. Monahan
Estate of Ruth Willcox
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Frank & Margaret G. McGee Charitable Fund
Mr. Tom & Mrs. Molly Freeman
Dr. Thomas J. Fritzlen
Mr. James L. & Mrs. Stephanie S. Gegg
George H. Nettleton Foundation
Geraldine & R.A. Barrows Charitable Foundation
Ms. Betty J. Gilmore ’50
The Honorable Thomas & Mrs. Earline Gordon
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Guy I. Bromley Trust
Hamilton Family Foundation
Mr. J. Robert Hardin ’78
Mrs. Shirley G. ’60 & Mr. John E. Hayes
Mrs. Angie M. ’18 & Mr. Mark Heer
Herbert V. Jones Jr. Foundation
Mr. John & Mrs. Karen Holland
The Reverend Monsignor John F. Huhmann
Jeanne Olofson Foundation
John B. Rust Charity Trust
John W. & Effie Speas Memorial Trust
Joyce Bogart Irrevocable Trust
Kearney Wornall Charitable Trust & Foundation
Mr. David D. ’76 & Mrs. Mary Kerr
Mr. Charles H. Kopke
Mr. Vercie & Mrs. Lisa Lark
Loretta M Allebach Irrev Trust
Mrs. Karen E. MacLean
Mr. Kevin & Mrs. Susan McGreevy
Mrs. Florence M. McGregor
Mr. John & Mrs. Susan McMeel
Mr. W. Everett Mealman
Mr. Jeff & Mrs.Tina Montgomery
Mr. John & Mrs. Rebecca Moores
Newcomer Family Foundation
Mrs. Kathy ’70 & Mr. Jack Newman, Jr.
Mrs. Donna K. Njemanze ’90
Mr. Tom W. Olofson
Mr. Phil A. & Mrs. Lee Ann Orscheln
Patterson Family Foundation
The Research Foundation
The Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts
Mr. Thomas D. & Mrs. Kathleen J. Sanders
Mrs. Phyllis M. Schroer
Stephen R. Samborski Memorial Fund
Mr. John Sullivan & Ms. Paula Stokes
Ms. Geraldine R. Sulzer ’47
Mrs. Theresa M. Sutton
Mrs. Merla B. Temple ’95
Miss Theodora A. Tucker
Union Pacific Foundation
Mr. Joseph & Mrs. Faye Vowells
Ms. Julie A. Weiss ’78, ’83
Mr. Ed Zagorac
Corporate Giving Society
Avila could not complete the great work that we do without the support of our business community. We are so grateful for our corporate donors that have donated more than $50,000 to the University.
Bank of America
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Blue Springs Grants
Bridge Market Data Company
Clarkson Construction Company
Country Club Bank
Euronet Worldwide, Inc.
Fahey Realty
Farmers Group, Inc.
FCI Advisors
George P. Reintjes Company
Great Western Dining Service, Inc.
Health Resources Services Administration
Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
HRS Education Services, Inc.
J.M. Fahey Construction Company
JE Dunn Construction
Kansas City Life Insurance
Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc.
Lankford Fendler + Associates
Lockton Companies
Massman Construction Co.
Missouri Colleges Fund, Inc.
MMC Corporation
National Science Foundation
Skill Builders Fund
Sprint (T-Mobile)
SS&C Technologies, Inc.
State of Missouri
Stinson Leonard
The Council of Independent Colleges
The Robert E. Miller Group
U.S. Bank Foundation
UMB Asset Management
Universal Press Syndicate