E-News - December 3, 2021

President David Hayes ’93 will be traveling around the country to meet with Kohawks over the next several months, and he hopes to see you at one of these events:

December

• December 8 – Kansas City
• December 16 – All-Alumni Address via Zoom

January

• January 24 – Naples
• January 26 – Fort Lauderdale

February

• February 7 – Phoenix
• February 10 – Tucson
• February 21 – Los Angeles

March

• March 12-16 – Kent Herron Reunion in Aspen
• March 26 – Dallas

Watch for reception dates in these cities in the coming months:

• Cedar Rapids/Iowa City
• Denver
• Des Moines
• Chicago
• Twin Cities
• Indianapolis
• Washington, D.C.

Check www.alumni.coe.edu/events for more information and watch your inbox for news about an event near you. If you have recently moved or have a partial-year address, be sure to update your information with the Office of Advancement so we can let you know when President Hayes will be in your area.

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Kohawk Startup 2021

At the fourth annual Kohawk Startup, Coe students were awarded $2,500 in funding to launch business ideas. Kohawk Startup is a 24 hour innovative entrepreneurship event led by NewBoCo Chief Relationship Officer and Coe Entrepreneur-in-Residence David Tominsky ’98 that engages students through the brainstorming, pitching and presentation process of developing a business model. Business leaders and Coe alumni across the country mentored Coe students during the event.

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We love to see our Kohawks making headlines for their accomplishments and contributions to their communities. Check out these alumni who recently made the news.

• David Erickson ’88 was listed in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s “People on the Move” section for his role as the director of integrated digital and social media at Tunheim.
• Fred Jackson ’03 was the keynote speaker at the Sioux City Bandits luncheon in early November. Prior to his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, Jackson was a running back for the Bandits for two years.
• Will Johnston ’02 is the founder and executive director of MicroLife Institute, which has been recognized with a 2021 Regional Excellence Award by the Atlanta Regional Commission for their Cottages on Vaughan housing development.
• Tara Nance Durant ’95 was recently elected to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent the state's 28th district.

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Hobby leads to unique internship opportunity for Coe senior

For years, Hunter Jeffrey ’22 planned to work his way into managing an NFL team after earning his degree in business administration with a sports management concentration. But when a friend introduced him to disc golf, the Kohawk football player decided to take a completely different course with his career.

Jeffrey was hooked. He binged every disc golf video, learned everything he could about the community and industry and dedicated every second he could to playing disc golf. Little did he know, the Ledgestone Insurance Open he learned about would play a major role in a disc golf tournament internship experience.

As a practicum requirement for his degree, Jeffrey knew he had to complete an internship, so he turned to his Kohawk football position coach and mentor Larry Atwater ’82 for networking assistance. He secured an internship interview with one of Atwater's contacts but couldn't get the disc golf tournament out of his mind. Atwater encouraged Jeffrey to email the tournament director. A few months later he set off to Illinois to intern at the Ledgestone Insurance headquarters and work with not one, but two tournaments.

“I talk to Coach Atwater often. I’m in his office a lot. He helped provide me with a list of internships I could do with our local sports teams in Cedar Rapids. But I told him I was interested in disc golf and talked to him about the tournament. He let me do what I wanted to do to find my passion,” Jeffrey said.

His first major assignment was traveling to Michigan with the Ledgestone Insurance crew to help set up courses for the Discraft’s Great Lakes Open. Once back in Illinois, Jeffrey worked in their disc golf warehouse handling supply shipping logistics and customer orders. The Ledgestone Insurance Open was all-hands on deck with about 1,800 players and over 3,000 spectators. Jeffrey set up courses, assisted players with check-in and packet pickups and directed players and spectators to course locations.

“The biggest lesson it taught me was time management and event management. I saw all the behind the scenes and listened carefully to how things were planned,” he said.

“The internship helped me out a lot. I think without this internship I would have been stuck in the mud trying to get a job in the NFL after graduation because I know it's a difficult industry to get into. This really opened up my options to new ideas,” he added.

Internship requirements are not exclusive to business administration majors. Coe faculty and staff work tirelessly to connect students to real-life learning opportunities. Every Kohawk is guaranteed an internship, research or off-campus study experience. These efforts have been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review. This is the fourth consecutive year Coe has been ranked in the Top 25 in the internship category, with 10th being its highest ranking this year.

With this exposure to the industry, it’s no surprise Jeffrey is eager to get more involved in disc golf after graduation. Right now, he’s enjoying his last football season and quality time with his teammates.

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International Club hosts 48th annual Culture Show

The Coe College International Club held its 48th annual Culture Show October 30 in Sinclair Auditorium. Check out the highlight reel!

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Share the Coe spirit during this season of giving

As we look toward the upcoming new year, we know the generosity of those who invest in Coe College makes all the difference in our success. Your support means a lot to us, and during this giving season, there are many simple ways you can support our work and benefit yourself and your loved ones.

• Make a gift today — If you want to make an impact and receive income tax savings, make your gift now and see the results of your generosity in action immediately.
• Avoid capital gains — If you are concerned about preserving your cash resources, consider a gift of an appreciated asset. A gift of securities, business interests or real estate can provide you with significant income and capital gains tax savings, often exceeding the benefits of a cash gift.
• IRA charitable rollover — People age 70½ or older who own an IRA can make cash gifts directly from their IRA to charity. If you are 72 or older, you may satisfy your required minimum distribution, up to $100,000. If you have a spouse with his or her own IRA, they can do the same thing if they have reached age 70½. For many people, this is the best tax-wise way to give.
• Start new income — Fund a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust with a gift of cash or appreciated assets and receive a lifetime income and generate a current income tax deduction. You also will bypass all or a portion of the capital gains on appreciated assets, and when you pass away, any remaining funds will come to Coe.
• Leave a legacy — There are many simple ways you can support Coe College through an estate plan. A bequest through a provision in a will or trust is one of the easiest gifts you can make. You can make a bequest of a dollar amount, a specific asset, or a percentage of or the residue from your estate. A beneficiary designation is simply naming Coe College as the beneficiary of an asset you own, such as a retirement account. Most people like the fact that these are revocable and can be modified at any time.
• Blend your giving — For an even greater impact, consider a gift today of your IRA distribution, real property, appreciated assets or cash, and complement it with a gift in your will or estate plan. You benefit by seeing and knowing you are building a legacy that will grow.

There are many ways we can help you fulfill your philanthropic goals while enjoying tax savings and income advantages. Visit www.alumni.coe.edu/waystogive or contact our gifts specialist at 319.399.8542.

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Herron invites alumni to Aspen

Kent Herron encourages alumni to join him March 13-17, 2022, for a grand reunion of a half century of Coe College skiing in Aspen! Doc has been skiing with his students in Aspen since 1972. He is excited about the opportunity to see all of them once more and celebrate old times as well as create some new memories. And he’d like to do it while he still can ski.
 
Details and registration are available at www.alumni.coe.edu/kentherronaspen!

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Important Dates and Upcoming Events

December 8 — New Beginnings…Familiar Faces: Kansas City — Local Kohawks are invited to a gathering with President David Hayes ’93 and other Coe staff at Strange Days Brewing Co. (co-owned by Blake Strobel ’07) in Kansas City from 6:00-8:00 PM. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and complimentary drinks will be provided.

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