LVC launches $100 million ‘Ever Forward’ campaign, largest in college history

Lebanon Valley College publicly launched a $100 million fundraising campaign Friday, the largest in the Annville college’s history.

The “Ever Forward” campaign was unveiled at an event in Sorrentino Gymnasium, where LVC President James MacLaren announced that donors have already committed more than $68 million toward the goal.

It is the college’s first comprehensive campaign in nearly two decades. The last, “Great Expectations,” set a $50 million goal and raised about $55 million before ending in the 2000s.

In prepared remarks Friday, MacLaren said that the environment surrounding higher education is changing rapidly.

“Students and families expect more,” he said. “They want affordability. They want clear pathways from college to career. They want strong outcomes. They want technology-rich, purpose-built facilities. And they want to know that the investment they make in a college education will truly pay off.”

MacLaren said Friday that meeting those expectations is what Ever Forward is about.

LVC began counting gifts toward Ever Forward in July 2022 and plans to close the campaign in early 2030, according to Matt Weaver, vice president for advancement. His answers were relayed by LVC spokesperson Tom Hanrahan. Weaver described the first several years as a “nucleus” phase. During that phase, the college secured gifts from donors closest to LVC and tested which priorities resonated before going public.

MacLaren arrived at LVC in July 2020. In an interview with LebTown, he said campaign planning began in earnest around 2023. That year the college brought in campaign consultants and asked the campus community which projects were most critical.

The campaign has three priorities: $30 million for scholarships, including endowed and current-use aid and emergency assistance; $35 million for academic programs, faculty and facilities; and $35 million for the student experience, including internships, research, wellness programs and athletic facilities. The college’s endowment is currently $130 million.

“Like many individuals and organizations, we’ve benefited from some of the growth in the stock market over the last six years,” MacLaren said.

MacLaren estimated that capital projects will account for about $25 million to $30 million. Roughly $30 million or more will go to the endowment, he said. Bequest commitments count toward the goal, he noted, and are often designated for the endowment even though the money arrives years later. The college draws about 4.5% from its endowment each year for its operating budget, he said.

Early gifts

Several gifts made during the nucleus phase count toward the goal.

Joan Squires and her husband, Dan Hamann, have given $5 million to revitalize the Blair Music Center. Squires is a 1979 LVC graduate, a college trustee and president of Omaha Performing Arts. The center will become the Squires School of Music and Creative Technology. According to the college, the renovation includes a two-story glass lobby that will also serve as event space and an overhaul of Lutz Auditorium with LED walls, improved acoustics and a new sound system. MacLaren said the goal is to train students in the production technology used for live performances and Broadway shows.

“LVC’s had a long history in music and the arts, and this will really significantly invest in our music programs here,” MacLaren said.

In an emailed response to LebTown, Squires and Hamann said they expect some graduates to work in music education and performance, but with “a much stronger and broader experience.” Others will work behind the scenes in sound, video and production, they said. Non-music majors who take part in ensembles will also benefit.

“All of them will be ahead of their peers with an education and experiences not available in other colleges,” they wrote.

Squires said campaigns like this one require participation from many people who care about the college. “It’s not about the size of the donation — it’s about investing in an institution that has been special to so many of us so that future generations can benefit,” she wrote.

The Squires School will be LVC’s second named academic school. The first, the PAM Health School of Nursing at Lebanon Valley College, was established last year with a $5 million gift from PAM Health. LVC launched its nursing program four years ago. MacLaren said the naming “adds a tremendous amount of prestige to the program” and helps the college recruit students and faculty.

The estate of Elizabeth Miller Bains has left a bequest of more than $6 million for physics and engineering. Bains, a 1964 graduate, was one of LVC’s earliest female physics majors. She spent most of her career at NASA, working primarily on the space shuttle program, and received LVC’s Distinguished Alumna Award in 2015.

A $5 million gift from LVC trustee Kathy Bishop, announced in 2022, established the Katherine J. Bishop Fund for Global Studies, which gives students grants to cover study-abroad costs.

A $2 million gift from the Shaw Family Foundation will help build a new 7,500-square-foot fitness and wellness center. A group of lacrosse and football alumni raised $1 million to name new locker rooms, which will serve several teams, including LVC’s new men’s volleyball and women’s flag football programs, in honor of Bill and Bob McHenry.

“I think all of those gifts in their own individual way will transform the student experience for the better at LVC,” MacLaren said.

Stadium renamed for Monos

Donors have also funded a renovation of the football stadium. It will be renamed the James P. Monos Stadium at Henry and Gladys Arnold Field.

Monos was LVC’s head football coach for 23 seasons, from 1986 to 1996 and from 2004 to 2015. His 109 wins are the most in program history. He is the only LVC coach to lead the team to four postseason appearances, including the program’s first NCAA tournament berth in 2013. He was inducted into the LVC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

Dave Stover and Tracey Smith Stover, both 1991 LVC graduates, made the inaugural $1 million lead gift for the project, funding a new turf field and surrounding track. Dave Stover played football under Monos. Tracey Stover is a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and twice chaired LVC’s board of trustees. Greg Hessinger, a 1987 graduate who also played for Monos, and his wife, Paula, gave another $1 million.

The renovation will expand seating, allow LVC to host track and field competitions, and give the Pride of the Valley Marching Band a better setting.

In an emailed response to LebTown, the Stovers said their appreciation for the mentoring they received at LVC has grown over time. For Dave, that mentor was Monos; for Tracey, it was accounting professor Barbara (Vlaisavljevic) Wirth.

“We are humbled and recognize that it was the mentoring we received along the way that gave us the guidance and confidence, and sometimes the kick in the tail we needed,” they wrote. At challenging times in life, they reflect on what they learned from Monos and Wirth, and it provides the fuel they need to carry on, try a little harder, or improvise and adjust.

The couple said they have given at several levels over the years. Their gifts started with a few hundred dollars toward a Bishop Library renovation. Later came a scholarship fund that pays for a student’s CPA exam preparation, and then a recruiting lounge and classroom in the Arnold Sports Center.

“First and foremost, no gift is too small! Please don’t not give because you feel it won’t make an impact — every dollar makes a difference,” they wrote, addressing alumni considering a gift. “Donate to something you are passionate about.”

The Stovers said the campaign is broad enough that most donors should find a project that matters to them.

Confidence amid sector challenges

MacLaren acknowledged that many small colleges, including in Pennsylvania, are struggling. The number of high school graduates is declining, and some people question the value of a degree.

“LVC is in a really strong position given all the challenges,” he said. “The fact that we’re running a campaign and investing in our campus really reflects how confident we feel about the future of the college.”

He said about 30% of LVC students are eligible for Pell Grants, and a larger share are the first in their families to attend college. About 80% of students come from Pennsylvania, most from the counties surrounding Lebanon County, he said, and many stay in the region after graduating.

“We’re a significant economic driver in the Lebanon area,” MacLaren said, noting that the college helps develop the region’s workforce.

He also cited career outcomes in programs such as nursing and actuarial science. In July, the Society of Actuaries designated LVC’s actuarial program a Center of Actuarial Excellence. Fewer than 50 programs worldwide hold that status.

MacLaren said hospital systems were “fighting over our graduates” from the nursing program. “Those students all had multiple job offers before they graduated,” he said of its first class.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the campaign was announced during LVC’s Homecoming Weekend, which was not the case. LebTown sincerely regrets the error.