Koelbel Building Donor Fact Sheet

The Leeds School of Business will formally dedicate its expanded and renovated home, the Koelbel Building, at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, with a public ceremony at the main entrance. Speakers will include Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, Denver real estate leader Walter A. "Buz" Koelbel Jr., CU President Hank Brown, CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson, Leeds Dean Dennis A. Ahlburg and Audrey Klanecky, president of Leeds’ student government.

Following are facts about the donations and donors who made the new Koelbel Building possible:

• Funding for the renovation and expansion of the Koelbel Building, the new home of the University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business, came from private donors, students and the university.
• Initial funding for the $38 million project came from a $17.5 million commitment from CU-Boulder students, who voted to increase their student fees to help pay for three new campus buildings. To complete the project, the Leeds School of Business needed private donors to contribute $17.25 million and the university another $3.25 million.
• So far, private donors have stepped up to fund $15.5 million of the $17.25 million in gifts facilitated by the CU Foundation. Naming opportunities remain available, including a 77-seat classroom.
• Of the donors who helped finance the project, Leeds School of Business Dean Dennis A. Ahlburg said, “None of this expansion and renovation would have been possible without the determination of our students to have a great building and their willingness to help pay for it.
• “Nor would it have been possible without the generous support of President Hank Brown, Chancellor Bud Peterson and the many alumni and supporters who rose to the challenge of building a world-class business facility to house a world-class business school,” Ahlburg said.
• Donors to the Koelbel Building had diverse reasons for providing support: From honoring loved ones or educators to recognizing a business, they chose to name several building features, including a balcony with a breathtaking view of Boulder’s Flatiron foothills. Other named facilities include study areas, team rooms and classrooms.

Koelbel Building Donors

Below is a list of donors who contributed generously to the completion of the renovated and expanded Koelbel Building on the CU-Boulder campus:

• Ellen Balaguer, who received bachelor’s degrees in finance and psychology from CU-Boulder in 1982, and Mark Chase of Greenwood Village, Colo., contributed to the building campaign to name the south terrace in honor of Arnold R. Webber, CU president from 1980-1985. Webber was influential in Balaguer’s education and career. Balaguer, managing director of Accenture Learning, has global responsibility for one of the world's largest learning services providers.
• James “Jimmy” C. Calano, of Boulder, who received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from CU-Boulder in 1978, pledged $200,000 to name the James C. Calano Classroom, where courses in marketing, sales, leadership, ethics and social responsibility will be taught. A six-year member of the Leeds advisory board, Calano also is a director of the CU Alumni Association and serves on its executive committee.
• A gift from Jo Marie and George Dancik honors Ernst & Young LLP. The couple’s contribution named the Ernst & Young Team Room to recognize the opportunities Jo Marie received during her nearly 30-year career with Ernst & Young and to pay tribute to the firm’s commitment to higher education. A former member of the Leeds Board of Governors, Jo Marie retired last year as Ernst & Young’s Midwest region managing partner.
• Robert E. and Georganne L. Foss of Potomac, Md., pledged $1 million to name the Koelbel Building’s third-floor Dean’s Suite. Both CU-Boulder alumni, Mr. Foss received a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1971 and Mrs. Foss received a bachelor’s degree in English in 1976. The Fosses, who met at CU-Boulder as students, have supported the school through the Dean’s Annual Fund and the accounting program since they graduated.
• Frederick T. and Millie Hull of La Quinta, Calif., provided a gift of $150,000 to name the Hull Family Seminar Room. Mr. Hull graduated from CU-Boulder in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He has been a longtime Leeds supporter, having endowed a scholarship for business students and serving on its advisory board for 10 years. He said, “The CU campus nurtures a sense of vitality that energizes me each time I return.”
• Stephen A. Kaplan and Alyce K. Sigler of Winnetka, Ill., provided a gift to name the Stephen A. Kaplan and Alyce K. Sigler Study Area adjacent to the first-floor commons area. Kaplan, who retired after a career in the commodities business, received a bachelor’s degree in finance from CU-Boulder in 1970. He is involved in numerous cultural and civic activities in Chicago and other locales and is an internationally known collector of wines.
• Dudley Malone of Geneva, Ill., provided a gift of $350,000 to name the Dudley D. and Delores R. Malone Family Classroom on the third floor.  Delores Malone passed away in 2005. Dudley Malone is the former owner of Liquid Container Corp. of West Chicago. He received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from CU-Boulder in 1952.
• Helen Menk and her son Brian, both of Boulder, provided a gift of $25,000 to the building campaign through their family foundation to name the Donald Menk Family Foundation Faculty Office. Helen and Donald Menk's sons both graduated from CU-Boulder. Helen received a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1943 and her son, Brian, received a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1975.
• Whiting Oil and Gas Corp. committed $250,000 to name the third-floor Whiting Petroleum Corporation Computer Classroom. Whiting is an oil-and-gas property acquisition, exploration and production company with corporate headquarters in Denver. Three Whiting directors are Leeds graduates, including Kenneth R Whiting, who received a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1949; Graydon D. Hubbard, Jr., who received a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1955; and James J. Volker, who received a master’s of business administration in 1970.