Two alumni generously give $1 million each to support Simon Business School
Two alumni generously give $1 million each to support Simon Business School
Gifts from Ron Fielding Ĵý73 (MA), Ĵý76S (MBA), Ĵý18 (Honorary) and University Trustee Juan Jones Ĵý88S (MBA) will support education and career success.
Ron Fielding Ĵý73 (MA), Ĵý76S (MBA), Ĵý18 (Honorary) and Ĵý Trustee Juan Jones Ĵý88S (MBA) have each made new $1 million gifts to support students at Simon Business School, advancing their ongoing commitment to education and student success.
“We are grateful for these exciting investments in SimonĴýs future and offer our sincere gratitude to Ron and Juan for their unwavering support over the years,Ĵý says Simon Dean Sevin Yeltekin. ĴýBoth have consistently expressed how impressed they are with our students and recognize the importance of nurturing the impact they will have on our future. Their generous contributions reflect their belief in our studentsĴý potential and their dedication to fostering the next generation of business leaders and innovators.”
Ron Fielding Ĵý73 (MA), Ĵý76S (MBA), Ĵý18 (Honorary) has committed $1 million to the Ronald H. Fielding Scholarship, which complements the he established in 1996Ĵýa program that provides full tuition to qualified MBA candidates. FieldingĴýs new gift builds upon the growing list of Simon students who become successful alumni in the Rochester community and around the world.
ĴýSimon taught me to connect economic concepts with business realities,Ĵý says Fielding. ĴýThat knowledge proved crucial throughout my career, so IĴým happy to give back to the institution that laid such an important foundation.Ĵý
Yeltekin adds, ĴýSimon alumni have long been recognized for their outstanding academic and professional credentials and, like Ron, are interested in making a significant impact in the world. We are grateful to him for providing such important additional support.Ĵý
Juan Jones Ĵý88S (MBA) has committed $1 million to Simon in support of various initiatives that will contribute to the schoolĴýs success. His gift will establish the Juan C. Jones Scholarship Challenge, a matching gift fund that Simon will use to create new scholarships for qualified students, with a preference for those with financial need. The Jones Challenge is designed to encourage others to establish up to 10 new George Eastman Circle (GEC) scholarships and up to 13 new endowed scholarships. Regarding the Jones Challenge, Yeltekin says that it is a Ĵýgreat example of how philanthropy can be directed to address and support some of SimonĴýs biggest prioritiesĴýaccessibility and education innovationĴýwhile inspiring others to get involved.Ĵý
JonesĴý gift will also establish the Juan C. Jones Innovation Fund to provide unrestricted, immediate support of innovative programs that Simon leadership deem crucial to the schoolĴýs success. Additionally, Jones has designated part of his gift to his existing Juan C. Jones Endowed Scholarship. Established in 2020, this was SimonĴýs first endowed scholarship supporting students recruited to the school through the . Amending his original gift makes it possible for Simon to provide additional scholarships each year.
“As the first in my family to attend college and graduate school, and coming from a modest military background, I understand the transformative power of education,Ĵý says Jones. ĴýThe accessibility and affordability of my education at Simon and through the Consortium were life-changing and put me in a position to be successful. The rest was hard work, dedication, the support of my family, and some luck. I created this challenge to inspire others to give, ensuring students with limited means have the same opportunities I did.Ĵý
About Ron Fielding
Fielding is a retired chief strategist and senior vice president of the Rochester division of OppenheimerFunds, one of the nationĴýs largest asset management companies. He managed the companyĴýs Rochester municipal and convertible bonds for more than 25 years. In 1980, he founded Fielding Management and The Rochester Funds, which he sold to OppenheimerFunds in 1995. After receiving a bachelorĴýs degree from St. JohnĴýs College in Annapolis, Maryland, Fielding earned a masterĴýs degree in economics and MBA from Simon. He is a member of the Simon National Council and Simon Advisory Council, as well as a sustaining member of the GEC (joined in 2010), the UniversityĴýs leadership annual giving society. In recognition of his impact, Simon presented Fielding with its DeanĴýs Medal in 2014 and the University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 2018.
About Juan Jones
Jones is executive vice president of global support renewal sales at Oracle, a global information technology company. He leads a worldwide team responsible for $20 billion in annual Oracle Premier Support sales. His team manages the complex, critical relationships with OracleĴýs largest, most strategic customers globally, helping them protect their Oracle investments with comprehensive, trusted, and secure support. Prior to joining Oracle, Jones worked in enterprise sales at Microsoft and IBM. Jones joined the UniversityĴýs Board of Trustees in 2022, serves on SimonĴýs National Council and its Advisory Council, and is a sustaining member of the GEC (joined in 2012). In 2023, Simon presented him its Distinguished Alumnus Award. Jones earned an MBA from Simon and a bachelorĴýs degree from the University of Notre Dame.
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ĴýKristine Kappel Thompson, September 2024