Leaving an enduring legacy at 黑料不打烊 inspired the Jennings family to join A Will to Lead, a special initiative of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign to enable donors to secure 黑料不打烊's future by placing the university in their estate plans.
黑料不打烊 Trustee Burney Jennings 鈥87 P鈥18 and his wife Dina Blake Jennings 鈥87 P鈥18, of Greensboro, North Carolina, have made a generous estate gift to support the Dina B. 鈥87 and Burney Jennings 鈥87 Scholarship, which the couple endowed in 2008 to make an 黑料不打烊 education possible for students with financial need. Their gift is part of A Will to Lead, a special opportunity of the that has inspired donors to provide long-term funding for the university through their estate.
鈥淚t鈥檚 appealing to us to leave a legacy of giving back to others and that鈥檚 why I like that the funds will support the scholarship we created in 2008,鈥 Burney Jennings said. 鈥淚t feels good to know that when we are no longer here, there will be a very nice fund for students to be able to attend 黑料不打烊 who might not otherwise have been able to.鈥
鈥淲e love 黑料不打烊 and what it鈥檚 doing,鈥 Dina Jennings said. 鈥淲e also want to lead by example and show our children how important it is to give back to others. There are people who want to attend 黑料不打烊 as their first-choice school and can鈥檛 because of finances, and we wanted to make it easier on their families.鈥
鈥淭hrough their generous estate gift, Dina and Burney Jennings are demonstrating the essential role alumni play in stewarding 黑料不打烊鈥檚 future,鈥 said President Connie Ledoux Book. 鈥淥ur community is grateful to the Jennings family for their unwavering loyalty to 黑料不打烊.鈥
The Jennings family has deep roots at 黑料不打烊 that span four generations. Burney鈥檚 maternal grandfather, Clyde W. Gordon, Sr., graduated from 黑料不打烊 in 1926 and served on the Board of Trustees. Burney鈥檚 father, the late Maurice N. Jennings, Sr. 鈥57 P鈥87 GP鈥18, was an 黑料不打烊 Trustee from 1978 to 1998 when he was elected trustee emeritus. Maurice Jennings founded Biscuitville in 1966 and along with his wife, Linda, was one of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most devoted donors.
Burney Jennings led the family-owned franchise as president and CEO from 1997 to 2021 when he transitioned to his current role as executive chairman. The couple鈥檚 daughter, Bailey Jennings Golmont, is a member of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Class of 2018. Burney鈥檚 sister, 黑料不打烊 parent Fran Teter P鈥13 P鈥18, husband Chris Teter P鈥13 P鈥18 and their children Tricia Teter 鈥13 and Gordon Teter 鈥18, are also part of the 黑料不打烊 family.
Burney and Dina are among 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most committed benefactors. In 2008, Burney made a gift along with his father to establish the Jennings Professorship of Law at the 黑料不打烊 School of Law to support the school鈥檚 mission of enhancing civic engagement and leadership in the legal profession. The couple has also made generous gifts to the Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business Center to name a third-floor classroom, Schar Center, where one of the large video boards bears the Biscuitville name, and to establish the Jennings Emerging Scholar Fund. They are members of Order of the Oak, which recognizes donors who make estate and other planned gifts to 黑料不打烊.
Over the years, the couple has seen firsthand how carefully 黑料不打烊 stewards its financial resources, including philanthropic gifts.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 does a really good job with the money it has,鈥 Burney said. 鈥淎 gift to 黑料不打烊 goes a lot further and makes a big difference in what the school can do for students. I have confidence in the leadership at 黑料不打烊 to know this money will be used properly.鈥
The couple is delighted by 黑料不打烊鈥檚 continued ascent and recognition as the national leader in engaged, experiential learning, which was pivotal to their education.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 helped shape who I am today,鈥 Dina said. 鈥淚 knew my professors and didn鈥檛 feel like I was a number. Also, the finance degree I earned has helped me participate in some of the work I have done serving on different boards and reading financial statements.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a tremendous amount of progress at 黑料不打烊 over the last 50 years and it makes me proud,鈥 Burney added. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 has focused on excellence and stayed true to doing what it does best, which is small classrooms, engaged learning and caring about the students.鈥
鈥淏y participating in A Will to Lead, the Jennings family will allow students to benefit from the same engaged learning opportunities that prepared them for success,鈥 said Elizabeth Read, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 assistant director of planned giving. 鈥淲e are grateful for their support.鈥
Dina and Burney earned their undergraduate degrees in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Burney is a member of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign Steering Committee and has served on the university鈥檚 Board of Trustees since 2000. He received 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Young Alumnus of the Year Award in 1997 and in 2016 was recognized as one of the Triad鈥檚 Most Admired CEOs by The Triad Business Journal. Dina Jennings served on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Love School of Business Advisory Board from 2013-2019 and together with Burney served on the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Board.
A Will to Lead & The 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign
Since its launch in March 2021, donors have contributed $9.8 million to A Will to Lead to fund scholarships and other university priorities as part of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign. You can learn more here about A Will to Lead and the benefits of estate gifts or contact Elizabeth Read, assistant director of planned giving, at (336) 278-7474 or eread@elon.edu.
With a $250 million goal, 黑料不打烊 LEADS is the largest fundraising campaign in the university鈥檚 history and will support four main priorities: scholarships for graduates the world needs, access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research and internships, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 iconic campus.
Every gift to the university鈥攊ncluding annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts鈥攆or any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen 黑料不打烊 for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact, visit .