Ruth Allen Griggs Honor Luncheon Brings Students and Donors Together

On Tuesday, March 28th, generous donors, COBA scholarship recipients, COBA sophomores, members of COBA’s Dean’s Council, and COBA faculty and staff gathered at a luncheon inspired by the memory of Ruth Allen Griggs. Ruth’s children, Jack Griggs and Ann Griggs Berger, along with their respective spouses, Ann Griggs and the late Bob Berger, established an endowment in 2015 to honor their mother and her spirit of generosity by

having a yearly luncheon bringing together COBA donors and students. The purpose of the luncheon is to honor and thank donors for the scholarships given to the College of Business that allow so many students to attend ACU and to participate in many of the experiential learning opportunities that COBA offers. This year, sophomore students were added to the invitation list so that they could learn what COBA values the most, particularly those ideals related to gratitude and generosity.

COBA students Georgi Hannah, senior accounting major from Kearney, MO, and Casey McMullin, junior financial management major from Colorado Springs, CO, spoke to the audience about what receiving COBA scholarships has meant to them and the impact that it has had on their education and experiences at ACU. In her speech to the audience, Georgi spoke about the many opportunities she has been able to participate in because of generous donors and said, “”Someday I hope that I can sit where you are now. I pray that I will be as generous and kind as you have been to me and the rest of ACU.” Casey stated, “ACU is a place where I have learned how to live up to my God given potential… and I already feel as though I am making a true difference in the world.”

Bill Minick, finance alumnus (class of 1982) from Dallas, spoke to the crowd about founding PartnerSource, an employee benefits and risk management consulting firm which  became a leader in the worker’s compensation insurance industry and helped create a competitive market system in Texas. After being acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Minick was able to use money from the sale of the company to support causes close to his heart, including giving money to the College of Business at ACU. He stressed to the audience the importance of not only giving of your money but also of your time in order to make the world around you a better place.

Dr. Brad Crisp, Dean for the College of Business, thanked everyone for sharing their stories and said, “In this room are generous people and the students they’ve touched. Those who give to COBA with their time and money make so many things possible, and we want to honor you for that. We’re also here because we hope that in giving our students an opportunity to meet COBA donors that you too might be inspired to bless those who come behind you after you leave ACU.” Dr. Crisp also stated, “COBA’s donors make so many things possible. Their generosity eases the burden of tuition on our students and enables us to constantly innovate in our goal to consistently provide high quality educational experiences. We’re so thankful for their support and giving spirit.”