Florida Poly announces $2 million gift to support new leadership initiatives

LAKELAND, Fla., April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Polytechnic University announced a $2 million gift from Trustee Gary C. Wendt to support the creation of new leadership initiatives for students. 

Wendt has been closely involved with Florida Poly since 2017, when he joined its Board of Trustees. In this role, Wendt relentlessly searches for ways Florida Poly can provide not just academic excellence, but also valuable advantages to students over other universities.

"Gary has already made an impact on Florida Poly as a committed trustee, sharing his expertise and insight over the years to successfully help the University move forward," said Dr. Randy K. Avent, Florida Poly's president. "This generous contribution will carry on his legacy of tenacity and leadership for our University for many years to come, and we are very grateful."

In recognition of the impactful contribution, Florida Poly will name a future engineering building on campus after Wendt. The forthcoming building will house spaces for engineering research, as well as new programs focused on leadership skills. 

Wendt moved to Florida 20 years ago after a prominent business career. He has a civil engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin and attended Harvard Business School. Once there, he realized his leadership abilities needed help. This memory motivated him to financially support robust programs to foster leadership among Florida Poly students.

"I'm a firm believer in giving students the chance to develop leadership because it broadens their ability to access various parts of the job market and provides much wider opportunities," said Wendt, former chairman and CEO of GE Capital. "As just scientists or engineers, they're limited in those things. But if we add to the strong leadership component in the school, we can deliver a great advantage to students."    

Kathy Bowman, vice president of advancement at Florida Poly, said the gift will be transformational for students hoping to lead tomorrow's tech industries.  

"We are honored to have Gary's support through this remarkable gift that will be life changing for many students as they acquire necessary tools to excel in industry," Bowman said. "Gary is passionate about seeing our students succeed and become the next high-tech leaders for Florida and the nation. This investment represents his undeniable commitment to making this a reality."

SOURCE Florida Polytechnic University