42 / ’southern
PHILANTHROPY
ChuckVinson serving as vicepresident
for institutional advancement
Charles “Chuck”Vinsonhas joinedBirmingham-Southern as the college’s new vicepresident for institutional
advancement after serving in a similar role at the Jesuit CollegePreparatory School ofDallas.
Vinsonoversees the various fundraising initiatives of theOfficeof Institutional Advancement and is taskedwith
building support for the college among alumni, local businesses, and the community, aswell as students, faculty,
and staff.
Hehas experienceonboth sides—raisingmoney andmanagingmoney. Inhis last twopositions, Vinsonwas
part of teams that raised record amounts of funds, participating in a$200million campaign at theUniversityof
NorthTexas and a$30million campaign at Jesuit College.
At Jesuit College, hewas also amanaging trusteeof the school’s foundation, whichmanages the institution’s
endowment. In addition, hewas director of development and then senior director of development for theAthletic
Department at theUniversityofNorthTexas inDenton andCEOof the SantéCenter forHealing inArgyle, Texas.
Vinson, whoholds aBBAdegree from theUniversityofNorthTexas in strategicmanagement and
entrepreneurship, praised the team at BSC for doing somuchhardwork in recent years.
“Iwant to celebrate the successes BSChad in thepast, and Iwant topart of tomorrow’s successes,”he said. “It
really is time tomove forward andbe aspirational aboutwherewe can go as a college.”
BSC’s president, Gen. CharlesC. Krulak, praisedVinson for his enthusiastic approach andbeing a “truepartner”
in fundraising. He is encouragingVinson and everyone else at Birmingham-Southern todreambig about the
college’s future.
“The timehas come for us todo something really special here,” saidKrulak.
Vinson
In1986, threeBirmingham-Southern friends—SteveNoser,
Trent Lowery, and Joey Lesesne—spent the summer inEngland,
attending lectures and seminars in theBritish Studies atOxford
program.
Whiledrivingback to their residenceon aweekendfield trip,
theypassed a sign for awaterfall anddecided to take a swim to
cool off. After a fewminutes of swimming, Lowerymadehisway
to thewaterfall and swamunderneath it. Hewas swept into a
dangerous current that flippedhim through thewater as though
hewere in awashingmachine. The last thinghe remembered
was a visionofNoser diving into thewater andheading towardhim.
Lowery surfacedoutside thepull of thewaterfall, butNoserwas pulled
under anddrowned.
At the timeofNoser’s death, friends and family established the
Joseph StevenNoser Scholarship, a travel fund toprovidefinancial
assistance toBSC studentswhowanted toparticipate inBritish
Studies atOxford. ManyofNoser’s friends didnot have the ability
to contribute in a substantialway to the fund at that time, but now,
more than25 years later, they’ve joined together to establish anew
memorial scholarship tohonor him.
“Steve’s deathwas a life-altering event formanyof uswhoknew
him,” remarkedLowery ’87, whonamedhis only son inNoser’s
memory. “Thebeautyofwhat Stevedid is that itwas a spontaneous
decision that crystallized the essenceof his personality. I know that
From left: Trent Lowery, SteveNoser, and Joey Lesesne inGlasgow, Scotland.
Friends are inspired tohonor late
college student
he recognized thedanger ofwhatwas happening, anddespite that, he
jumped in to saveme, which cost himhis life; that’s deeplyhumbling.
Wehope this scholarshipwill keephismemory alive for thoseof us
whoknewhim aswell as provide inspiration for thosewhodidnot.”
“Stevewas brilliant and fun-loving,” saidBrantWatts ’87, oneof
the friends organizing the scholarship. “Hewas very inquisitive and
enjoyed challenging thoughts and concepts. He taught us tobemore
tolerant andnot takeourselves too seriously.”
Todate,more than$30,000has beenpledged to fund thememorial
scholarship. The goal to fund the scholarship in away thatwill
ensure its long-term ability to assist BSC students is $250,000. If
youwould like tohelp establish thismemorial scholarship, contact
John Sweeney, director of corporate and foundation relations, at
(205) 226-4910or
.
