University trustees provide support for essential CBA project

From left, R. Max Williamson '59, David Levey '71, Daniel Keller '72 and Bruce Nyberg '68.

By Matt Markey ’76

When a new College of Business Administration building takes shape on campus, expectations are that it will be a beacon that draws the best students, top instructors and leaders of the business world, creating an environment where exceptional education merges with real-world experiences. The end product will be graduates well prepared for the challenges of the worldwide economy.

This facility, which will be known as the Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center after the couple’s transformational gift helped to make the project possible, has also received considerable support from members of the BGSU Board of Trustees and Foundation Board Inc.

Through a series of dedicated individual gifts, the trustees have assisted in the creation of a facility where the classroom and digital learning will mesh, thus creating the environment for a world-class education to take place. BGSU President Mary Ellen Mazey praised the trustees for extending their support of the University to this ambitious undertaking.

"It is inspiring that board members who already work to advance the University's mission with their time and talent also choose to provide financial support to ensure that we change lives for the world," she said.

Board of Trustees Chair David Levey and his wife, Shirley, are funding a high-tech classroom in the new CBA facility. As Bowling Green seeks to enhance the premium business education it offers, the David and Shirley Levey Classroom will be an essential piece of the overall upgrade of the college, one that is already ranked among the best in the country.

The Leveys have previously provided support for a laboratory/classroom learning center in The Wolfe Center for the Arts, and they recently created the M. Neil Browne Professorship. The couple has also supported the Alumni Fund, Trustees Leadership Scholarship and the Excellence Fund.

As a student, David Levey was a member of the leadership team of Darrow Hall who went on to earn a degree in business administration from BGSU in 1971. The Leveys were honored in 2008 by the Akron Children’s Concert Society for their leadership and commitment to the charity, receiving the Children’s Concert Society Service Award.

Board member Daniel Keller ’72, ’79 and his wife, Laura Keller ’72, ’77, have provided funding for a gathering space and study area inside the Maurer Center, an area that will be utilized by students, faculty and staff. The Daniel R. and Laura C. Keller Lounge on the third floor of the building will be utilized by students, faculty and staff and be an important element of the structure’s many amenities.

The Kellers have been involved in supporting numerous endeavors associated with the University and BGSU Firelands. The couple has created scholarships, made significant gifts to the Allied Health and Sciences Building at Firelands and the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, and provided support for the McBride Arboretum and a number of Falcon athletic programs and sports.

Their personal involvement with BGSU is significant, with Dan Keller having served on the Board of Directors of the BGSU Alumni Association, the Board of Directors of the BGSU Foundation Inc., and the BGSU Firelands Development Board. The Kellers are also members of the Falcon Club and The Presidents Club, and in 2000 Dan Keller was honored with the BGSU Alumni Community Service Award.

Trustee David O’Brien and his wife, Lisa, both BGSU graduates, have provided a gift to create a specialized space in the new CBA that will be called the David and Lisa M. O’Brien Student Organizations Meeting Room.

The O’Briens, who are active in philanthropic work in northeast Ohio where they live, serve as the co-chairs for the capital campaign for the Women's Recovery Center of Greater Cleveland. David O’Brien also has held numerous nonprofit board positions.

BGSU Foundation Inc. Board of Directors Chair R. Max Williamson, who earned a business degree from BGSU in 1959, has provided a gift that will facilitate the addition of a conference room in the new College of Business Administration building. The R. Max Williamson Conference Room is just the latest in Williamson’s long history of support for numerous fundraising efforts at the University.

The retired insurance executive has supported the Excellence Fund, the Student Union Fund and Falcon Club and also has established the Williamson Scholarship. Williamson is also a member of the Cornerstone Club and The Presidents Club. In the past, he has served on the Board of Directors of the BGSU Alumni Association.

The Bruce E. and Katherine M. Nyberg Conference Room in the new CBA building is a gift from Bruce Nyberg ’68 and his wife, Katherine. The Nybergs, who have established an endowed scholarship in the College of Education and Human Development, both serve the University in additional capacities.

Bruce Nyberg has served on the Board of Directors of the BGSU Foundation Inc. and now serves as a national trustee on the BGSU Board of Trustees. He earned a degree in business administration from BGSU in 1968, and as a student was a member of Student Cabinet, Sigma Chi Fraternity, Phi Alpha Theta and the history honorary, and received the Sidney Frohman Scholarship. Katherine Nyberg serves the University on the Leadership Council of the College of Education and Human Development.