Alex Harvey
Equinox Staff
Members of the Keene Endowment Association (KEA) met in Norma Walker Hall in the Alumni Center on Thursday, March 7 to discuss funding and strategic planning. Every year the KEA gives over nine hundred thousand dollars in scholarships to students at Keene State College.
Board member and consistent contributor Wink Faulkner said he gives, “a little bit of time and a little bit of treasure” by providing monetary donations directly to the Endowment Association. “There are many folks who want to come to Keene State College who don’t have the financial ability to do so. The goal of the organization is to get everyone who needs money to come here,” Faulkner said. Faulkner also said the KEA is a forward-looking organization and that the goal of the meeting was to work on drafting a ten year strategic plan to provide and distribute endowment funds. Faulkner was asked to be part of the Endowment Association by KSC President Melinda Treadwell and President of the Board and a Keene State alumni Ed Wojenski.
“I’m a local businessman, I grew up in this town, and I want to give back to the community, and Keene State College is certainly a part of the community,” Faulkner said. “There have been many times when the college has reached out to the community, and the community has kept its hands in its lap. I see that as not being constructive, so when I was asked to serve I jumped at the chance. This is an amazing treasure that we have in our town, and too many people take it for granted.” Faulkner said that he feels Keene State College has been unfairly blamed for controversial events in the City of Keene’s history. Faulkner also said that building connections between the college and the community is important for keeping students in the Monadnock area in the future and allowing the town to grow, as well as staying young and vital.
Louise Zerba is a community representative who has served with the Endowment Association for six years. “It’s very important to us that financial needs should not hinder anyone from coming to Keene State,” Zerba said.
Treadwell also spoke at the meeting.“Tonight’s meeting was to approve the funding that would be available for us as we package students for next year and also to ensure the governance and agreement on the direction of the college so that we’re in alignment and working as a team,” Treadwell said. Treadwell called the Keene Endowment Association one of the college’s most important partners, because they provide nearly one million dollars in scholarship funds to students every year.
Alex Harvey can be contacted at
aharvey@kscequinox.com.
