Heritage Society recognizes planned gift donors, honors President Benson’s retirement
On their last day as President and First Lady of the University of Colorado, Bruce and Marcy Benson celebrated members of the CU Heritage Society at its annual luncheon at the Denver Country Club on June 28.
"You help push this university forward, and I can't thank you enough," Benson told guests during his remarks. "And, Marcy, I couldn't do this job without you."
The luncheon had 300 guests in attendance and featured a special performance by Lark, an all-female student a capella group from CU Denver. The student group benefits from gifts made by Heritage Society member and CU alumnus Doug Tashiro ('71) who was highlighted in a video played during the event.
Tashiro's generosity to CU supports his passions for both music and engineering, including tutoring for engineering students at CU Denver, the alumni choir at CU Boulder and scholarships for students in the Golden Buffaloes marching band, and student a capella groups at CU Denver.
Jack Finlaw, President and CEO of the CU Foundation, introduced Benson, CU's longest standing president in 65 years. Benson officially retired at the end of June, with Mark R. Kennedy taking the helm July 1.
Finlaw called Benson's last day on the job "bittersweet" for the university but reminded the crowd that Bruce and Marcy Benson were still very much a part of the CU family. Benson is an alumnus of CU Boulder and has been involved with the university long before he became president in 2008. The couple are longtime philanthropic supporters of CU, as well as members of the Heritage Society.
Benson told attendees that even on his final day he had work to do for CU, and that "it takes a team" to do what the university does for Colorado and the world. He said he was proud of CU's achievements during the past 11 years, including increases in student enrollment, research funding, financial aid, and fundraising, as well as the cultural transformation at CU as a university system with four distinct and dynamic campuses.
The University of Colorado Heritage Society honors those who have made a gift to support the University of Colorado through their estate plans. The Heritage Society has more than 1,300 members, with 126 new members inducted this year. Planned gifts help strengthen CU's academic programs, attract world-class faculty, fuel innovative research, advance healthcare, and support CU students on every campus in every discipline.
For more information about making a planned gift to support CU, call 303-541-1229 or visit giftplanning.cu.edu.