UVA Darden Announces Alumni Leadership for Historic Fundraising Campaign

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business has announced the leadership for Powered by Purpose, its fundraising campaign in support of UVA’s historic $5 billion campaign set to launch in October. Jim Cooper (MBA ’84) will serve as chair with Bill Coogan (MBA ’82), Kirsti Goodwin (MBA ’02) and Liz Lynch (MBA ’84) serving as vice chairs.

“As Darden embarks on its largest campaign to date, we are inspired by the incredible service, generosity and leadership of Jim, Bill, Kirsti, and Liz,” said Darden School Dean Scott Beardsley. “These four individuals embody the high level of engagement and the incredible pride in Darden that sets the tone for the campaign and the ways it will propel the School. These alumni are leaders who fully understand — and support — the ways the campaign can simultaneously preserve the Darden experience and launch the School into its next 50 years.”

Cooper takes on the campaign chair role following years of leadership service at Darden. “As former chair of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees and current chair of the Darden Emeritus Trustee Cabinet, I have connected deeply with the priorities and goals of the School and understand the significance of this campaign,” said Cooper. “This campaign is not a nice to have, it is a must have. We must raise funds, we must invest, and we must have the capital to preserve the Darden experience that my fellow alumni and I so cherished.”

Cooper said he is excited to build on his previous leadership and philanthropy at Darden, which includes establishing the James A. Cooper Family Fellowship Fund in 2011 to provide financial support for an MBA student at Darden and becoming a Principal Donor of the School.

Coogan is a Darden School Foundation trustee, a Principal Donor of the School, and a father to graduates of both Darden and the University of Virginia. For Coogan, serving as vice chair is an opportunity to further his support of the School and to demonstrate his appreciation for the Darden faculty and core curriculum. “Through the campaign, I want to help ensure the academic experiences that powered my life and career continue in perpetuity for future generations of Darden students,” said Coogan, who recently established the Coogan Family Bicentennial Professors Fund and the Coogan Family Bicentennial Scholars Fund with matches through UVA’s Bicentennial funds.

Goodwin, who established the Kirsti W. Goodwin Scholarship Fund to provide support to female MBA students at Darden, joins the campaign leadership team to build momentum for the School that helped define her path. “I simply would not be where I am today if it weren’t for Darden,” she said. “I don’t believe this compassionate, collaborative community exists anywhere else, and this campaign is essential to preserving this experience for the future.” As a member of the Board of Trustees’ Building and Grounds Committee and a Principal Donor, Goodwin brings a depth of leadership experience at the School to help it capitalize on opportunities afforded through the campaign.

Lynch takes on the vice chair role to encourage philanthropy and involvement among Darden community members due to her conviction in Darden’s continued ability to transform graduates both personally and professionally. “I am an alumna, a wife to a Darden alumnus and a Darden parent, so I understand that the Darden experience is one differentiated by growth and transformation and one that continues to demand and deserve strong and strategic investments,” said Lynch.

The campaign leadership role adds to Lynch’s record of Darden service as a trustee and an alumni board member, as well as establishment of the Elizabeth H. and Daniel S. Lynch Fellowship Fund to support MBA students at Darden.

Leadership Aligned Behind 4 Key Campaign Priorities

As leaders of Darden’s campaign, Cooper, Coogan, Goodwin and Lynch drive engagement and support of the four priorities that define Powered by Purpose:

• Faculty, Thought Leadership and Curricular Innovation
• Scholarships, Financial Aid and Student Experience
• Darden Grounds Master Plan, and Technology and Innovation
• Darden Annual Fund

Darden School Vice President for Advancement Kara Ramirez Mullins said she is energized by the four leaders and their collective experience within the Darden community. “With such demonstrated service and philanthropy to Darden across our campaign priorities, these alumni are exceptional ambassadors Darden at this incredibly important moment in time. I look forward to their leadership throughout the launch and subsequent exciting chapters of the campaign.”

About the Campaign

Darden’s Powered by Purpose campaign is in support of the University of Virginia’s $5 billion campaign, which will publicly launch 11–13 October 2019. The multimillion fundraising goal for the Powered by Purpose campaign will be announced in conjunction with its public launch in October.