Silicon Valley Couple Create First Endowment from Shidler Matching Funds
(Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) — The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is pleased to announce that John and Sue Dean have committed $250,000 to the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Their gift combines with $250,000 in matching funds provided by Jay Shidler’s transformational donation in September 2006 to create an endowed professorship at the business school called the John and Sue Dean Distinguished Professorship.
"Sue and I have been involved with the College for some time and seen first-hand the benefits it has brought to Hawaiʻi, from well-educated decision makers and entrepreneurs to the newest ideas in the business arena," said John Dean. "We decided that the time was right to invest further in the College’s success with an endowment that will enhance its ability to attract and retain top-flight faculty," said John Dean.
This is the first endowment utilizing the matching funds that were part of Mr. Shidler’s gift; a total of $3 million was allocated for matching funds for endowed faculty positions, scholarships and programs at the business school.
Dean Vance Roley noted, "We are grateful to John and Sue for their continuing generosity and guidance. Their assistance has been instrumental in the growth of the College, such as introducing us to key contacts in Silicon Valley and establishing the Kipapa lecture series, which brings some of the finest business minds to Hawaiʻi."
John Dean is managing general partner of Startup Capital Ventures, a private equity fund that invests in venture capital funds and start-up technology firms in the U.S., overseas and Hawaiʻi, general partner of Tuputele Ventures and chairman of the Entrepreneur’s Foundation of Hawaiʻi, a nonprofit organization that helps develop a culture of community service and philanthropy. Dean, a banking professional for more than 20 years, was previously CEO and chairman of Silicon Valley Bancshares and Silicon Valley Bank. During his 8 years as CEO, Silicon Valley Bank's market capitalization grew from $65 million in 1993 to over $3 billion in 2000.
UH President David McClain said, "I'm delighted that John and Sue Dean have stepped forward once again to support business education on the Mānoa campus. Their leadership on behalf of the University of Hawaiʻi is exemplary."
UH Mānoa Chancellor Denise Konan said, "The UH Mānoa campus has been home to some of the nation’s finest college faculty for much of our first century. The Dean’s gift will help us build on this legacy of excellence for future generations of students in the business school."
UH Foundation President Donna Vuchinich said, "I thank the Deans for their efforts to realize the world-class potential of the Shidler College of Business. They embody the highest aspects of philanthropy - giving not only to meet a current need, but also to help transform the future and improve our communities."
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About the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Established in 1949 as the College of Business Administration, the College was named in 2006 after alumnus Jay H. Shidler, founder and managing partner of The Shidler Group. The Shidler College of Business is renowned for its expertise in international management education and is consistantly ranked among the nation's top 25 graduate schools for international business by U.S. News & World Report. Long recognized for its Asia-Pacific focus, the College is a professional school, offering a wide variety of degree, certificate and executive programs. The College places a strong emphasis on the development of management skills, entrepreneurship and the management of business information technology. The UH Shidler College of Business is the only graduate program in the State of Hawaiʻi accredited by AACSB International. For more information, visit www.shidler.hawaii.edu.
The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.
