News

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Chancellor Emeritus and Former First Lady, philanthropists David and Kay Werner, have donated $100,000 to establish an endowed scholarship in SIUE's School of Education Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB). The first $5,000 award will be announced this semester.

“We are delighted to receive such a generous gift from the Werner family at such a critical time. Nationwide there is an increasing shortage in administrative leadership within schools. This gift will help us close the gap by furthering the educational journeys of student scholars within our Educational Leadership programs,” said JT Snipes, PhD, chair and associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership.  “We also believe this gift will have a generational impact on the numerous students, families, and community members that our student scholars serve. I can’t say thank you enough to David and Kay Werner for their continued generosity to the university and our department.”

The David and Kay Werner Endowment for Educational Leadership focuses on a discipline of which the Werners are quite familiar.

“Thirty-six years of Dave’s career were spent at SIUE, and I spent roughly 26 years at the University,” said Kay Werner. “So it's been a home for us. We grew up here. We're very fond of what the school is, and we are very fortunate that we can do this.”

Dave Werner began his career at SIUE as a faculty member in 1968 in the SIUE School of Business, where he served as Dean of the school and then Provost. Werner then went on to serve as SIUE’s Chancellor from 1997 through 2004. Kay Werner (’88) graduated from SEHHB with a specialist degree in educational administration.

Having witnessed the strength of educational leadership firsthand, Werner is confident in saying, “If we don’t get good leadership, we don’t get academic success.”

Werner lists six qualities required for effective leadership: competence, character, compassion, consistency, collaboration and confidence. She believes competence through a strong educational foundation is key. “You must be competent. You have to know what you’re doing,” said Werner. “And by the time you’re in graduate school, you’ve made that commitment.”

During her career at the University, Kay Werner worked as both a manager of the Faculty Technology Center on the Edwardsville campus and as a manager of information technology at the SIUE East St. Louis Center. There, along with her team and graduate assistants, Werner would install and provide maintenance on the facility’s computers. She also conducted technology instruction for staff. 

Werner was recently surprised with the news of a former graduate assistant who made a donation to the University in her honor. “I met a number of students who were wonderful and who were motivated,” said Werner. “I was once talking to a woman, and she broke down in tears. She said, ‘If it hadn't been for this campus--hadn't been for SIUE—I would never have gotten an education.’ And I’ve heard that from more than one student.”

And after having attended what she counts as more than 100 graduations, Werner along with the thousands of families witness how the financial investment pays for itself.

“Dave and I are first generation family college graduates. Our parents didn't have that opportunity, and we did,” Werner added. “Education is a tremendous investment. You know when we talk about debt—and it's horrible the debt these students are finding themselves—I don't call it debt. I call it investment. So if you don't go to college or other post-secondary education and you don't go into debt, in 25 years where are you going to be?”

Both Werners retired from SIUE in 2004. David Werner continued work abroad and across the country in accreditation and in university administration. He served as Interim President at three different higher education institutions in Pennsylvania, one of which he held a prior role as Interim Provost. Kay Werner became more active in philanthropy, including as a founding member of Meridian Society.

In 2015, David Werner was the recipient of the honorary doctorate of humane letters from SIUE. During the 2015 spring commencement ceremony, Kay Werner received SIUE’s Distinguished Service Award.

The donation to SEHHB is the second from the Werners who established a similar endowment for the SIUE School of Business. The David and Kay Werner International Study Support Endowment provides scholarships for international study opportunities. The couple are also members of the SIUE Chancellor’s Circle, the University’s premier giving society recognizing SIUE‘s most generous donors.

“I hope one of the outcomes that I want to see in this is not only people receiving the money and enhancing their experience, but that it can be an example for others who might want to make a similar gift,” said Kay Werner.

“Being in the position where we can contribute, and with our love for the institution and what means for us personally, I know we're not a unique story.”

PHOTO: David and Kay Werner