Northwest dedicates alumni center
SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILY FORUM
Shown at the dedication ceremony for the newly renovated Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends are from left: Mike Johnson, vice president of University Advancement; Bob Machovsky, director of Alumni Relations and Annual Gifts; Paula Davis, president of the Northwest Alumni Association; Michael L. Faust, Alumni Center namesake; Calvin Sisson, executive director of the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation; and John Jasinski, president of Northwest Missouri State University.
Northwest Missouri State University dedicated Friday the newly expanded Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends.
The alumni House, a former foundation property sold to the Lutheran Campus Center. At the time, the conference room in the facility was named after 1942 alumna Florence Abar Lawhead who was in the audience to tour the conference room that bears her name.
“The Lawhead name returns to the alumni house and the conference room in this new addition,” said Mike Johnson, vice president of University Advancement.
He then went on to describe Faust’s commitment, loyalty and servant leadership.
“Mike’s commitment to Northwest Missouri State University is unprecedented through his extensive sharing of his time, his talent and his many treasures,” he said. “Mike’s loyalty goes beyond the passion to make his beloved alma mater a better place to learn and grow. His servant leadership has been demonstrated over the numerous ways in which he has single-handedly devoted himself to others, giving in so many ways as a donor, on our board and executive in residence.”
Michael Faust who graduated from Northwest Missouri State university in 1974 with a degree in accounting, currently serves as the chair of the advancement committee. He was president of the Northwest Foundation in 2008.
Faust spoke of his past and how his time at Northwest gave him the opportunity to help better the future for others.
“Every time, I step on this campus and which it’s been often since I’ve been on the foundation, I’m reminded of how lucky I was to choose Northwest,” Faust said. “As soon as I hit campus here, I knew I’d made the right decision. I knew was on my way to becoming a Bearcat.”
He said coming south to Northwest from Iowa set in motion events that would lead him to the, “opportunity to work for one of the most respected and successful CEOs Walter Scott Jr. Working with Walter led to the opportunity to serve as a director of his charitable foundation. Walter is a leading philanthropist up in Omaha.”
He said one of the conditions was that this building starts its new life with a $500,000 building maintenance income.
Faust said he worked his way through school with summer jobs and savings, but he said it was his mother, Mary Faust, who saved her money from babysitting to create a college fund for her children.
“I brought her down today so she could be recognized for her role, her contribution to my Northwest education and also to meet her old friend Florence (Lawhead) again,” Michael Faust said. “Of course, there’s no way I could ever really repay her. Thanks mom.”
He said working with Scott for 25 years, he noticed that Scott seemed to enjoy investing in public spaces, museums and things communities could use far into the future.
“My view is the alumni house is not so much about the past. And it’s not about us alumni, but it’s about the future,” Michael Faust said. “It’s a focal point for us as alumni to pay it forward and help the Bearcats of tomorrow. So long as that is the mission of this building, I’ll be proud to have my name on it,” Michael Faust said.
President John Jasinski said, “When the Bearcat Marching Band wakes you up at 4 o’clock in the morning to play the fight song, you know you’re going to have a great day at Northwest Missouri State. But you really know you’re going to have a great day when Mike Faust pulls into the parking lot and he’s got his mom with him.
“As many of you know, Mike has the uncanny ability to provide sage advice, analytical insight and really to be spot on and pretty quick in his insights,” Jasinski said. “I’m sure many of you have been able to gather that from Mike over the years, I certainly have and I’m deeply appreciative Mike for you doing that.”
Jasinski told the crowd that the Northwest Foundation believe Mike Faust is the longest serving director in the foundation’s history. By the time Mike finishes his term in 2020, he will have served one third of the Northwest Foundation’s history.
“I do want to thank Mary,” Jasinski said. “Thank you for being a mom. Thank you for being Mike’s mom. I know we all hold our moms near and dear to our heart, Mary, you have done awesome. Your gifts to Mike they’re being spread in a voluminous way. He is spreading those gifts to help so many, many people out. And they’re going to continue to impact Bearcats, today, tomorrow and for generations to come. So, thank you for your gifts.
“Because of the length of service,” he said. “Because of Mike’s quality of service, we could think of no more appropriate name for this historic and now new structure standing right behind me. The center that as Mike said, is about the future of Northwest Missouri State University. … From the bottom of my heart, on behalf of Denise and the family, Northwest Board of Regents, … staff and students, so many thousand plus alumni and friends, our prospective students, the students going through Homecoming tomorrow they don’t even know they’ll be Bearcats in the future, on behalf of everyone Mike, thank you for being a Bearcat.”
PHOTOS BY SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILY FORUM
Mary Faust and her son Michael L. Faust are shown Friday in front of the newly expanded and dedicated Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends.
SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILY FORUM
Northwest alumna from the class of 1942, Florence Lawhead is shown Friday in the conference room that bears her name at the Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends. Visiting the conference room, Lawhead said, “I love this room. It could be used for anything.” Lawhead was on hand for the dedication, but also to see her friend Mary Faust, whom she met in Mesa, Arizona, while playing bridge.
SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILY FORUM
Alumni and friends gathered for the dedication of the newly expanded and remodeled Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends. The building is shown Friday during Homecoming weekend.
SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILY FORUM
On Friday, Jeff Smith, owner of Smith Contracting Co. of Maryville, Missouri, general contractor for the job at the alumni house and 1980 graduate of Northwest Missouri State University shows his niece, Lainey Smith, 11, a photo of her grandmother, Joyce Elaine Brown who was Homecoming Queen in 1954 at what was then called Northwest Missouri State College. The photo resides in the newly expanded Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends.
SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILY FORUM
Michael L. Faust speak to the group of alumni and friends at the dedication of the expanded and remodeled Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends.
