Snead Family Foundation pledges $1 million to VCU School of Business

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley
Division of University Relations

RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 17, 2004) -- Thomas and Vickie Snead, 1976 graduates of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, have announced a $1 million pledge from the Snead Family Foundation to support the $30 million VCU School of Business private fund-raising campaign.

A major goal of the campaign is to construct a new School of Business building that is part of the planned Monroe Park Campus Addition, to be located east of Belvidere Street in Richmond. The campus addition also will house the expansion of the School of Engineering.

"The Sneads’ million-dollar pledge is a big step toward fulfilling our vision to be nationally recognized as the leading technologically focused business school in the Commonwealth," said Dr. Michael Sesnowitz, dean of the Business School. "This state-of-the-art facility will create a greater sense of community among students, faculty, alumni and business leaders.”

Tom Snead is President of Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield - Southeast Region. He recently was appointed to VCU’s Board of Visitors and serves on the Business School’s campaign executive leadership team. His wife, Vickie Snead, is a former vice president of Merchandise Planning and Stock Control of Miller & Rhoads Department store. She is a member of VCU’s Alumni Board, the VCU Massey Cancer Center Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of the Science Museum of Virginia.

"The VCU School of Business opened a new world to me," said Snead. "Throughout my career, the education and skills acquired at VCU have never failed me in meeting the toughest of business challenges. This is why I feel so strongly in supporting my alma mater, an institution that has served me so well in life."

"As proud VCU alumni, we are happy to give back to the institution that has given us so much opportunity," said Vickie Snead. "Tom and I consider this a wise investment in the future of VCU and its students."

The School of Business campaign is part of the overall $330.5 million Campaign for VCU launched last April – the most ambitious and extensive capital campaign in the university’s history. Thomas and Vickie Snead also are co-chairs of the campaign for the Monroe Park Campus.

"VCU's new School of Business will prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning by providing management education firmly grounded in technology, interdisciplinary teamwork and global perspectives," said VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D. “This exciting initiative will provide our business community with well-trained and motivated engineers and business executives who have great technical skills and can work in diverse environments. Everyone at the University is so grateful to Tom and Vickie for their great generosity and leadership. They are wonderful examples of our successful and appreciative alumni.”

Composed of 20 mini-campaigns, the Campaign for VCU will build upon the previous success of Partners for Progress campaign that added to existing endowed funds, professorships and created such visible structures as the School of Engineering, the Stuart C. Siegel Center and School of Arts Building. The current campaign for the School of Business will add components that did not exist before such as a career center, a trading room, and high-tech case and team-building rooms that will serve the six academic departments and more than 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students. 

For more information on The Campaign for VCU, visit www.vcu.edu/campaign.