Endowment to Name LeRoy Collins Public Ethics Academy
From left to right, Danita Nias, vice president for institutional advancement at 鶹ýӳ; Wesley Hawkins, Ph.D., dean of the College for Design and Social Inquiry; Merrett R. Stierheim; 鶹ýӳ President John Kelly; Peter Cruise, Ph.D., executive director of the LeRoy Collins Public Ethics Academy; LeRoy Collins III; Joe Oglesby; and Ismael Diaz.
鶹ýӳ’s Public Ethics Academy within the in the recently received a $475,000 endowment from the LeRoy Collins Legacy Group, Inc. to name the in honor of former Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins.
“It was my grandfather’s steadfast conviction with respect for others and a moral courage guided by the truth and by his conscience that helped him define his leadership,” said LeRoy Collins III, Collins Center board member. “鶹ýӳ is a worthy partner and I am excited to see all that the Academy will accomplish.”
In addition to naming the Public Ethics Academy, a portion of the endowment will be used to fund two student scholarships each year.
The Academy, first organized by 鶹ýӳ in 2009, was in 2017 and , was named its executive director. The University-based nature of the Academy, housed at 鶹ýӳ’s Boca Raton campus, allows for the rapid incorporation and dissemination of the latest scholarly research on ethics issues by noted faculty for the Academy’s training programs.
“The Academy’s research and training programs will promote and inform the principles Gov. Collins stood for and believed in,” said , dean of the College for Design and Social Inquiry. “This generous endowment will impact 鶹ýӳ for years to come and expand the Academy’s programs and services throughout the University.”
The Academy’s objectives are to increase understanding of local government and how it functions, promote high ethical standards in public service, provide an informational base for more informed policy making and develop the capacity of local officials to govern effectively.
“As one example of 鶹ýӳ President John Kelly’s vision of significant community engagement, the wonderful public service legacy of Gov. LeRoy Collins will continue at 鶹ýӳ through the Public Ethics Academy that now bears his name,” Cruise said.
For more information on the LeRoy Collins Public Ethics Academy at 鶹ýӳ, visit .
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