Guest panelists and SU alums (left-right) Sam Gilliam, '65, assistant chief administrative officer, City of Shreveport; Elton C. Harrison,'38, former vice president for academic affairs Southern University, Baton Rouge; Courtney B. Henry, '00, president of KCB Corporation; Louis C. Henry Jr., '71, president of Franchise Food Systems of Minnesota; Irving J. Matthews, '70, president and owner of Matthews Automotive Group; and Jewel Limar Prestage, '51, dean emeritus, SU School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs; chat with moderator Barbara Carpenter (middle) at "The Road Less Traveled: An Evening with Southern University Trailblazers" event which marked the kick-off of the Southern University System Foundation Annual Fund. Dolores Richard Spikes, '57, president emeritus, Southern University System, participated in the forum via video.

Southern System engages trailblazers for inaugural annual fund event

Jewel L. Prestage and Irving J. Matthews were among the panelists appearing at the The Southern University System Annual Fund event kick-off.

Elton C. Harrison, Dolores Spikes, and Jewel Prestage are just a few of the distinguished panelists that were featured in The Southern University System Annual Fund event kick-off entitled The Road Less Traveled: An Evening with Southern University Trailblazers. Held Saturday, August 11, 2007 at Debose Hall, this event was centered around profound dialogue that allowed a distinguished panel of Southern University graduates, to share their journey to success.

"The Road Less Traveled provided a venue for alumni and past administrators, who we referred to as trailblazers, to share with the attending audience the significant role Southern University played in their lives, a legacy that continues to impact the lives of thousands of students today," said April Brumfield, SU System Foundation Annual Giving Officer. "Additionally, these trailblazers encouraged alumni to become engaged in the future of the University through philanthropic endeavors."

Other participants included Irving Matthews, Louis Henry, Courtney Henry, and Sam A. Gilliam, all of which have made tremendous contributions both of financial gifts and gifts of professional talent to our esteemed University.

The Road Less Traveled featured open dialague with questions posed by SUBR administrator Barbara Carpenter, who served as host for the evening. Following the panel discussion, alumni, administrators, faculty and staff, students, and the community at large had the opportunity to interact with panelists during a question and answer session that concluded the evening.

The Southern University System Annual Fund will solicit annual unrestricted gifts to support all six system campuses and the System Foundation itself. The Southern University System Annual Fund will use direct mail, personal solicitations, constituency clubs, reunions, and special events to generate additional revenue to support student and faculty scholarships, technology upgrades, capital improvements, operating costs and more.

The purpose of the Southern University System Annual Fund is to encourage and increase the financial support from alumni and supporters of the Southern University System and to enhance the development efforts of each system campus.