Zions Bank Delivers Checks Personally to New President of SUU

Published: February 01, 2007 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Several Zions Bank officials had the chance to meet the new president of Southern Utah University, Dr. Michael T. Benson, earlier this week and they greeted him with a couple of sizeable checks for the University. Doug Balch, Zions Bank’s Southern Utah Regional President, delivered the checks to campus to be used for programs within the School of Business.

A $10,000 check will go toward helping with the Best Business Plan competition, which is following in the footsteps of the recent and very successful Best Business Idea competition. This will provide students the opportunity to crystallize viable business ideas into a successful business plan. Student participants are required to research proven business strategies and develop effective objectives that can be successfully implemented.

“This is a great University, with great traditions,” said Balch, as he spoke to a room full of Bank and University administrators. “Scott (Zions President/CEO, Scott Anderson) really wants people to view Zions as a community bank, even though we are a large corporation. That’s why we are involved in projects like this and why we have our local branch managers with us here today.”

Sarah Holmes, Providence Branch Manager, and Teresa Harrison, Main Street Branch Manager, were both on hand to take part in the presentation of the donations. A second check, worth $25,000, was also presented to the University and will provide the capital necessary to establish a Thunderbird Venture Fund.

“This is very exciting for us,” said Carl Templin, Dean of the School of Business. “This fund and these donations will mean great things for our students.” The Thunderbird Fund will be used to give students “service learning” opportunities and significantly deepen the entrepreneurial curriculum on campus. The fund will be managed by SUU faculty and students and successful entrepreneurs to teach venture capital due diligence and investing, and help deserving student businesses get the necessary financial assistance.

President Benson told everyone in the room that “We value partnerships like this, both on a state and a regional level. We want to be a good partner and we are very appreciative of this generous support for our students and programs.”

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