PSU Magazine Spring 2001

LAf a business conference many years ago I got quite involved in conversation with the gen– tleman sitting next to me. At one point he a ked me what my age was. I told him I was 30. "Well then," he said, "it's time to start putting back." This puzzled me-I hadn't finished "taking out" yet. But the man's words stuck with me. About 10 years ago, my wife, Jan, and I began to identify the things that had really made a difference in our lives and the lives of our children. We came up with several-but realized that it wa education that made the biggest difference. Jan and I met in college in Co lorado-she majored in home economics, I majored in business. We got married and got our degrees, although my schooling was interrupted by a brief stint in the military. We moved to Spokane following graduation and have been in the Northwest ever since. We like to travel and have visited quite a few developing nations around the world. We've seen a lot of contrasts. For example, some of these countries spend most of their public funds on education and health care. Others spend their on the military. Gue s where the problems are? We're very intentional about our philanthropic involvements. In some ways, setting up our charitable remainder tru t at the PSU Foundation was one of the hardest decisions we've made-it's tough to predict the future and it was important to us that we make this important gift where it will do the mo t good. I've been on the Foundation board for six years-although I had my sights on Portland State long before the opportunity to become involved arose. I've seen enormous change during this period. I've been part of the evo lution of the Foundation's investment policies and seen impressive growth in its assets, resulting in increa ed support for the mission of the University. PHOTO BY STEVE DIPAOLA Although it's always hard to look over the horizon, Jan and I believe that PSU serves a need that won't ever go away. PSU offers a unique product, featuring an urban set– ting and a diverse student population. Students here · (including our son, a physics major) seem more serious; many have been out in the world already, or balance family and job responsibilities with tudy. The caliber of student raises the tandard of class discussion and student work in general. It's almost like graduate school in that respect. We'd like others to know that when it comes to philan– thropy, you can't start too soon. I remember hearing Gen. Colin Powell give a presentation a while back, and during the question and an wer period one man described the vol– unteer commitments he'd made in the past. The general lis– tened and then asked, "And what are you doing now?" It's time to give back. Wayne Purdy Wayne Purdy is a partner and principal of Ferguson, Wellman, Rudd, Purdy & Van Winkelin, an investment management company in Portland. He is also a member of the PSU Founda– tion Board. Wayne and his wife, Jan, have three grown children and live in Lake Oswego.