Letter from the Foundation Board Chair

Reflecting on the last year, I am proud of what the CUNY SPS community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and SPS Foundation Board members have done to come together. From July 2020 to June 2021, we had many peaks and valleys. Even as we continued to fight COVID-19, we faced how we could do better in aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; implemented alternative, virtual ways to connect and celebrate; and prepared for the departure of Dean Mogulescu as he neared retirement. In this period, our Foundation Board continued to raise funds for scholarships and COVID-19 Emergency Grants and celebrated Dean Mogulescu. We also recommitted to the CUNY SPS Foundation’s mission and welcomed the School’s new leader, Jorge Silva-Puras. Three of our Foundation Board members, Pamela Brier, Michelle Pinedo, and myself, participated in SPS faculty and staff meetings to develop a new strategic plan for the School. We look forward to seeing this plan rolled out in 2022 to reflect the School’s new priorities in this pivotal time emerging from COVID-19 under the helm of Interim Dean Silva-Puras. We raised nearly $565,000 in FY21, in what is our best year on record with three years of continuous growth. This includes nearly $170,000 for the COVID-19 Emergency Fund. The Foundation Board also established a new Innovation Prize in honor of Dean Mogulescu to celebrate his impact on CUNY SPS as founding dean and trailblazer. This Prize will be awarded annually to a student, faculty, or staff member in recognition of their innovative idea, program, or research at CUNY SPS. We have all been inspired by Dean Mogulescu, and we recognize his influence on the School’s culture and success through this Prize, which will carry on after his departure. Our Foundation Board is continuously impressed by the CUNY SPS students and scholarship recipients we encounter. We are grateful to our ever-increasing donor base which supports these remarkable students and our hard-working faculty. We know you’ll enjoy learning more about them in this report.

Sincerely,

Blake Foote Chair, CUNY SPS Foundation Board

We raised nearly $565,000 in FY21, in what is our best year on record with three years of continuous growth.