SunTrust Gift Creates Two New Business Classrooms for Legacy Hall

TALLAHASSEE—Over the years, SunTrust Bank’s support for the Florida State University College of Business through generous gifts has enriched the education of business students. This month, SunTrust has come through again with a $150,000 gift to establish two 15-seat SunTrust Classrooms in Legacy Hall, the college’s new, proposed building.

“SunTrust has been a true friend to the College of Business and to the University as a whole,” said Caryn L. Beck-Dudley, dean of the College of Business. “I am proud and grateful that SunTrust’s leaders have chosen to once again invest in the future of the college and our students.”  

Presenting the check to the college on Friday, June 6, Tom Pennekamp, SunTrust’s Tallahassee president and government relations manager, said, “SunTrust has a long history of supporting education in the communities it serves. We’ve also had a long and successful partnership with FSU, including our gifts to establish the SunTrust Eminent Scholar Chair in Trust & Investment Management and the SunTrust Professorship of Finance position.”

In 1994, SunTrust contributed $600,000, with a match of $400,000 provided by the State of Florida, to establish the eminent scholar chair. Proceeds from this gift also are being used for the SunTrust Visiting Professor Speaker Series and the Florida State University SunTrust Beach Conference. Both events attract world-renowned scholars. SunTrust also provided a gift of $100,000 in 1988, with a $50,000 match by the State of Florida, for the finance professorship. Gary Benesh, longtime Florida State finance faculty member and director for the Master of Science in Finance program, currently serves in the post.

In addition to its work with the college, SunTrust partners with the University as a whole on projects, such as the recent financing of the Seminole Booster student housing facility, the development of purchasing cards for the Florida State University Foundation and serving as provider of a free, optional checking account for holders of the FSU Card, which is the university’s ID card that can be used as a debit card. SunTrust also is the official bank for the Florida State University Foundation, the Florida State University Real Estate Foundation and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation in Sarasota, Fla. SunTrust also has hired numerous College of Business graduates.

“Several hundred of our teammates have been educated by FSU’s College of Business, including many senior level officers,” said Brad White, SunTrust’s Florida Panhandle region president.  “This contribution ensures the continued success of the business school and will help the next generation of business leaders excel in the future.”

About the Florida State University College of Business—Founded in 1950, the College of Business is one of the nation’s youngest business schools, yet it has become one of the largest in the nation. The college boasts a distinguished full-time faculty of 133, including one Francis Eppes professor, seven eminent scholars, two university-named professors and 27 endowed professors. Accredited by the AACSB, the college offers nine undergraduate degrees (BS) with 11 majors, six master’s degree programs (MAcc, MBA, MSF, MSM, MS-MIS and MSM-RMI) and a Ph.D. in business administration with seven majors. These academic programs are available through the college’s six departments, which include Accounting; Entrepreneurship, Strategy & Information Systems; Finance; Management; Marketing; and Risk Management/Insurance, Real Estate & Legal Studies. The college also is home to 10 research institutes and centers.

About Legacy Hall—Legacy Hall will be constructed near the Leon County Civic Center, which will soon become the new gateway to the Florida State University campus. The new building is designed to be the hub of business collaboration at Florida State, in Tallahassee and the Big Bend region. The new building will provide a 67-percent increase in instructional space, along with the technology and collaborative spaces needed to provide tomorrow’s business education. Legacy Hall is estimated to cost $70 to $80 million, which includes brick-and-mortar, technology and furnishings. The cost will be shared with the University, with the College of Business expected to raise $35 to $40 million. To learn more about Legacy Hall or to make a gift, visit business.fsu.edu/legacyhall or contact Mark Pankey, associate dean for development, at mpankey@business.fsu.edu or (850) 294-1193. All amounts are appreciated and help ensure the legacy of the College of Business continues.