Our Call to Beneficence

Tad Perry is a retired educator, higher education administrator, and a former member of the South Dakota House of Representatives. He dedicated the first 23 years of his career to serving Ball State University, first as a faculty member and department chair, and then as an administrator. 

After leaving Ball State in 1994, Tad served for 15 years as the executive director for the South Dakota Board of Regents. He then served a term as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2012. 

In this episode, Tad describes how he helped our University to launch our Bowen Center for Public Affairs. He also talks about his more recent role in helping to endow our legislative internship program—a program that has been renamed the Tad “Doc” Perry and Mike McDaniel Legislative Internship Program in his honor.

Tad also shares why he believes civics education and civic engagement remain fundamental to the success of higher education—and to the future of our democracy. 

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After graduating from Ball State in 1984, Tim Andrews embarked upon a successful career that began in journalism and concluded in the promotional products industry. Tim spent 16 years at Dow Jones and Company in New York City, where he served in a variety of roles. Most recently, he completed a 23-year tenure as the CEO of the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), before retiring earlier this year. 

In this episode, Tim shares how his humble beginnings shaped the person he became. He also recalls how his Ball State education prepared him for the “balancing act” of adulthood. And he describes how, now in his “third third” of life, he wants to explore his purpose by giving back to the places that have served him and other people.  

Tim currently serves as a member of the Ball State University Foundation Board of Directors. He is also a generous benefactor, and he shares why he’s excited to continue his engagement with our University for decades to come. 

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Len Forkas is an author and entrepreneur who, in his free time, pushes his limits as an endurance athlete to raise money for his charity, Hopecam. He’s also a proud graduate who credits his undergraduate education as the foundation to his fulfilling career and the meaningful life he leads in service to other people. 

In this episode, Len talks about how his son’s childhood cancer diagnosis inspired him to create Hopecam. The non-profit organization supports children with cancer by connecting them virtually with classmates. Hopecam’s success is made possible by the creative fundraising techniques Len employs as an accomplished endurance athlete, including his recent successful summit of Mt. Everest.

Len also discusses his journey of enrolling in our Estopnial College of Architecture and Planning and how his work as a landscape architect inspired him to earn his MBA before starting his own successful business. 

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Michele Musson is a proud two-time Ball State graduate who currently serves as an Executive Director of Marketing for Eli Lilly and Company. In this episode, she reveals how her interest in working for the Indianapolis-based Fortune 500 company began when she was quite young. 

Michele also describes how being the recipient of our University’s Emens Leadership Scholarship changed her life. And she reveals how a highlight of her Ball State experience was sharing time on campus with her brother, who became a fellow Cardinal in her footsteps.

Today, Michele gives back to her alma mater by serving on the Emens Leadership Scholarship committee. She has held roles on both our Young Alumni Council and Alumni Council. And in the most poignant moment of this episode, Michele discusses how meaningful it is to fund a new scholarship—the Musson Family Scholarship—for deserving students at our University. 

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Marianne Glick is an Indianapolis-based philanthropist, artist, and entrepreneur. She is also a passionate supporter of student success and a former member of the Ball State University Board of Trustees. 

In this episode, Marianne shares the evolution of her relationship with our University, from leading training seminars at our Foundation to becoming a trustee. She also reveals why she wanted to expand her family’s successful youth program, TeenWorks, to higher education institutions, including Ball State. And she praises students from our Department of Theatre and Dance, whose talent is the reason why she and her husband, Mike Woods, gave a lead gift to advance the design and construction of our new Performing Arts Center. 

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Jud Fisher is a member of the extended Ball family, a family whose vision and enduring philanthropic support founded and has sustained Ball State University. Jud Fisher is also the president and the chief executive officer of the Ball Brothers Foundation. In that role, he serves as living proof of the Ball family’s longstanding commitment to our University, to Muncie, and to East Central Indiana.

In this episode, Jud talks about his childhood growing up in northern Michigan and how he found personal and professional fulfillment after moving to Muncie. He describes the mission of the Ball Brothers Foundation, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. And he shares his gratitude in carrying on the stewardship legacy of the Ball brothers by supporting the community and continuing to improve the quality of life in Indiana. 

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For more than 50 years, Stefan Anderson has had a distinctive relationship with Ball State University. Though he never attended Ball State, Steve became an advocate and friend of the University soon after he became the CEO of First Merchants Bank in 1974. In the decades since, Steve has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Ball State University Foundation Board, chairing Ball State's first capital campaign,  chairing the Ball Honors House campaign, and serving on the leadership teams of several subsequent major fundraising initiatives. 

In October, Steve received an Honorary Alumni Award from the Ball State Alumni Association. After listening to this episode, you’ll discover why he is a deserving recipient of this award. Steve discusses how meaningful it was for him to receive this award, and he shares the many ways in which he believes Ball State is an exceptional University. 

Steve also shares stories about the front row seat he’s had to the evolution of the University—and how gratifying it’s been to witness the positive impact Ball State has had on so many people over the years, himself included. 

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Dr. Keith Robinson is an accomplished Ball State graduate who has dedicated his career to informing and inspiring high school students, first as an educator and now as an administrator. 

In his current role, Keith serves as the associate principal of educational services for Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois. He is also a dedicated servant leader. He is the first Black trustee elected in the Village of Skokie. And Keith is also a member of the Ball State University Foundation Board of Directors and our Teachers College Advisory Council. 

In this episode, Keith talks about how the academic struggles he experienced in high school and college fueled his passion to become an engaging educator. Keith also shares how, in addition to his professional career, he’s found a new purpose in his role as a public servant. And he reveals why the chance Ball State took on him as a student is the reason he’s been a loyal advocate in service to his alma mater ever since.  

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Jill Lacy is an accomplished, committed graduate of Ball State University. She serves on the Women of Beneficence Leadership Council, and she is a member of the Ball State University Foundation Board. As a student, Jill was active in student government and in her sorority. After graduating, she earned her master's degree in higher education administration, and then she pursued professional opportunities that allowed her to work at several colleges and universities across the country. Today, she serves as the president of The Lacy Foundation. 

In this episode, Jill talks about the objectives of The Lacy Foundation and the challenges and opportunities of working in philanthropy. She also shares her excitement about her son attending Ball State, and how much she appreciated being asked to serve on the committee that developed the latest iteration of our University’s strategic plan. 

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Hugh Jackman is an award-winning actor of television and film. He is also an acclaimed theater performer who won a Tony® Award for his role in The Boy From Oz. Hugh’s most recent Broadway role was in the 2022 revival of The Music Man, which co-starred Ball State instructor and fellow Tony® Award winning actor, Sutton Foster. 

In this episode, Hugh talks about joining Sutton this month on one of her return visits to Ball State—and he shares his own interests in teaching. He also shares some advice he gave our theater students, and he describes the trajectory of his career from the theater stages of Australia to the film sets of Hollywood.    

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