Ball State alumni and benefactors expect whoever succeeds President Jo Ann Gora to continue working with them to keep raising Ball State’s reputation.
Gora, who became president in the summer of 2004 and plans to leave in the summer of 2014, has worked with alumni and benefactors to raise funding and awareness for many projects at Ball State in the last decade.
One example of Gora’s fundraising is the “Ball State Bold Capital Campaign.” In 2008, the university aimed to raise $200 million. It surpassed its goal, raising $210 million, with more than $70 million coming from more than 40,000 alumni.
Fred Cox, a 1974 graduate, joined an alumni constituent group in 1987, Alumni Council in 2002 and became the chair in 2013.
He said Gora worked to improve alumni relations by attending alumni meetings.
“Being interactive with all students — both past, present and future — is going to be key to whomever the next president [is],” Cox said.
Gora’s ambition, energy and engagement are qualities Cox wants the next president to posess.
“I hope they have that kind of leadership and impact to move us forward,” he said. “Someone to make the university as big as it can be.”
He said Gora will leave many of the projects Ball State is working on at good points for a new president to jump in.
“I expect everything should be okay,” Cox said. “It has to be, for the university to continue to grow its national recognition.”
Mary Jane Sursa and her husband David Sursa are longtime benefactors to the university.
Though Mary Jane Sursa and David Sursa, who died in 2003, never went to Ball State, they were born in Muncie and supported the impact the university had on the community.
Sursa said she expects the next president to follow up on Gora’s vision, as well as bring their own ideas.
“There’s always someone with a new idea or new approaches,” she said. “I’m glad I’m not on that committee.”
Nicole Yankauskas, a 2011 graduate and former student member of the Board of Trustees, worked with Gora at board meetings and at university events.
“Being able to see her work firsthand was one of the highlights of my college career,” she said. “I still look up to her as an alumnus.”
She said the next president should continue to work on both new and old relationships with alumni and friends of Ball State.
“I think we have a good staff of administrators to keep that momentum going,” Yankauskas said.
John Scheumann, a 1971 graduate and current member of the Cardinal Commitment Campaign committee, was disappointed to hear Gora’s plans to leave, but said he knows Gora’s 40 years in higher education is a long time.
As part of the Cardinal Commitment Campaign, Scheumann is helping raise $20 million for athletic projects at Ball State. He said bringing in money is part of what presidents do, and Gora has done it well.
“She’s hard to say ‘no’ to,” he said.
He said if he could, Scheumann would clone Gora for her successor — her personality, energy and interactive attitude.
“She’s done a good job in all of those areas,” he said. “I think they will have a difficult time filling those shoes.”
Scheumann said Gora will leave the university at a good time for a new president to start.
“She’s laid some great groundwork for people to follow,” he said.
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