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A Message from the Vice President of University Advancement��

In October, I had the privilege of gathering with some of Loyola’s leading volunteers at the ’s fall meeting. For the first time in recent memory, the group met outside of New Orleans, thanks to the vision and generosity of Visiting Committee Chair A. J. Kazimi, father of Andrew ’20, and other key sponsors. The committee spent a lot of time discussing key initiatives in the College, but an important part of the meeting was hearing from Nashville leaders about keys to the remarkable growth of that city.

Former Belmont University President Robert Fisher talked about that university’s path of success over the past 20 years, and the Nashville Chamber President & CEO discussed the public-private partnerships that have been crucial to Nashville’s ability to diversify and grow its economy while remaining a music and cultural powerhouse. The parallels with and opportunities for the city of New Orleans were obvious, even if there are important differences between central Tennessee and the Gulf Coast.

One member of our committee asked Mr. Schulz about the role that universities have played in Nashville over a strong quarter-century and the role that Loyola can play in New Orleans and our region. He didn’t hesitate in replying, “A place for conversation.” That has stayed with me. With our strong Loyola tradition of reflection, civility, truth-seeking, service, and respect for the dignity of each person, we should always remember how important our role is in strengthening the communities around us. The solutions to all the issues we face in our region and even the world can be found somewhere in the important research, learning, and dialogue led by our faculty and pursued by our outstanding students at ��������. I’m grateful to A.J., the Business Visiting Committee, and the Nashville leaders who reminded us of all this.

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AMDG,��

Chris Wiseman '88