Volunteer Councils Created

BYU’s “Lighting the Way” campaign, completed Dec. 31, 1999, mobilized 148,448 donors and hundreds of volunteers, more than had participated in any previous development project for BYU. The university wants to retain the talents of those involved. “We are very hopeful that the volunteers from the campaign want to remain and help us,” says Bruce M. Snow, executive director of development for BYU and BYU–Hawaii.

And he means help. Fund-raising remains, as always, a priority, but the university is asking more donors to put their minds where their money is—and provide input and expertise along with financial contributions. As a step toward this objective, BYU has created a universitywide advisory panel called the President’s Leadership Council.

The volunteer council is headed by an 11-member executive committee chaired by Mark H. Willes with co-chairs Stephen R. Covey, Ira Fulton, and Kevin B. Rollins. Long-time volunteers Jack R. Wheatley and Alan C. Ashton are advisors to the chairs. The executive committee also includes BYU President Merrill J. Bateman, BYU–Hawaii President Eric B. Shumway, advancement vice president K. Fred Skousen, Snow, and principal gifts director Larry M. Jenson.

“We have a good group of people who are going to be very helpful in the future of the university,” says Snow. “I think this is a huge step for us.”

The executive committee and some 25 other members make up the President’s Leadership Council, a group that evaluates university programs, assists with fund-raising, and gives counsel. Though the full complement of members has not yet been assembled, the council had its first meeting in June. 

“I’m hoping that this will give me more personal involvement,” says council member Julia L. Belleau of Fruit Heights, Utah. “The public needs to be aware of the areas BYU is involved in—we’re at the cutting edge of so many breakthroughs. People also don’t realize that BYU is a very integral part of an international system of education. I’m looking forward to any way that we can work with this council to help further the outreach BYU has.”

Members of the council will also serve as links to more specialized “constituent councils” created to advise colleges and organizations on campus. Some campus entities, like the Museum of Art, already have well-organized advisory boards. Those groups will continue to function, now linked to the university-wide volunteer structure, and new councils will be created to match volunteers’ expertise with campus needs.