It's about relationships and building connections that brings understanding and, therefore, the philanthropy that impacts. The transformative gift doesn't just come from loyalty, but rather from a deeper acknowledgement of an institution's mission and seeing that mission as worthy for how it is creating change in people's lives and the world. My career in the private sector allowed me to spend time and advise high-net-worth individuals/families about their philanthropy and their foundations. With that background of economics, management and communications, I followed my passion and transitioned to the non-profit sector where I saw great potential often stymied by financial need. That experience led me to create programs for understanding the complexity of education, the prevalence of poverty that impacted learning and teaching, and many other justice issues in the US and abroad. I have relished the evolution of service learning growing into social entrepreneurship. The experiences of the private sector and the non profit world have met and I am excited to be a part of a new vision for education in the US and abroad. As a member of several excellent educational institutions and an international organization, Opportunity International, it is clear that alumni, faculty, students and those who work in administration, are looking ahead with vision to reinvigorating the notion of people as lifelong learners and game changers. The realization that future jobs, technology, health care and participation in our democracy, are all outgrowths of our educational philosophy at every level. I believe in the call to care for the common good. Poverty, hunger, education equality and health/sanitation are issues of justice. Education is paramount to that call and academic institutions are being reinvigorated, reinvented and revitalized in order to be the important link to a new global community.