Stefani retires, plans to give herself plenty of time to relax Stefani retires, plans to give herself plenty of time to relax Stefani is a hard-working professional with a great passion for her work. She has conducted more than 260 programs on the subject of Wills for churches, organizations and institutions across the country. She once told Give & Take magazine that the most rewarding aspect of her work was "helping people become the philanthropists they never thought they could be." Stefani is also a member of The Association of Fund Raising Professionals, Central Iowa Chapter; Council for the Support and Advancement of Education; Mid-Iowa Planned Giving Council; and National Committee on Planned Giving. When she's scoring Drake basketball, she carries her dedication and professionalism to the sidelines of the court. Long-time friend and Drake athletic historian/consultant Paul Morrison often served as a liaison between Stefani and the PA announcer. Morrison said Stefani was business-like but enthusiastic during games. "It's a tough job," Morrison said. "You really have to keep your wits about you. And as a scorer you can't show any emotion, you have to remain impartial. But I know she's really gung-ho for Drake University." Stefani was the official scorer for the 1995 Women's NCAA Final Four Tournament in Minneapolis, and has been official scorer for the Iowa Girls High School State Basketball Tournament since 1987. "Nancy's a great gal and I really hate to see her leave," Morrison said. Stefani will continue to score Drake women's basketball, and plans to spend a great deal of her free time on road trips with the team. She will also perform between 8 and 10 hours of planned gift work every week for nonprofit organizations. Most importantly, she's going to rest. "I've enjoyed my time here at Drake, it's been great," Stefani said. "But there's a time in everyone's life when they look forward to shutting off the alarm clock in the morning." Dean of the College of Business and Public Administration Charles Edwards Jr. and Principal Financial Group Chairman and CEO Barry Griswell were on hand to make the formal presentation. The program was facilitated by the Drake Center for Professional Studies and represents a partnership between The Principal and faculty of the College of Business and Public Administration. "This program is unique in that Drake business faculty members worked directly with key leaders of The Principal to design a curriculum that brings high level business and leadership competencies targeted to the mission of the organization," said Thomas H. Root, Drake associate professor of finance. Jim DeVries, senior vice president, Human Resources, The Principal, echoed those comments. "Employees who participated in the program improved their business and leadership acumen," he said. "And, several of our senior managers were able to get involved in panel discussions and presentations to add their insight and perspective. It's really a great partnership and commitment to continuing education by everyone involved." The depth of the program was such that those graduates seeking further graduate level study may utilize the certificate as part of their next Drake educational pursuit. Deena Conley, assistant professor of theatre arts, moderated the session. Jones offered candid advice to students and dissected her own acting techniques. Describing her sometimes-rigid pre-performance rituals, she called acting the "ultimate in obsessive-compulsive disorder." And when Conley inquired about advice for the students, many of whom were hours before call-back auditions for a campus production, the seasoned actress responded: "You just have to hope the muse is with you. There's no way to tell." Jones, who won a 2005 Tony Award for portraying Sister Aloysius, was in town reprising her role in the Betts Broadway Series presentation of "Doubt" at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines Dec. 13-17. She has performed the part some 550 times, which she attributed to her "whopping good back story." Jones also chronicled her acting process and motivation for her interpretation of Sister Aloysius. "Having doubt or being deliberative is the beginning of making a mature decision," she said, reflecting on the play's plot. Jones is a veteran of the stage and screen with Broadway credits that include "Angels in America" and "Faith Healer," where she played opposite Ralph Fiennes. Her vast film experience includes roles in "Ocean's Twelve," "Signs," "The Village" and "Erin Brockovich." Take a moment to stop by and have a look, leave a comment or two and let the students know what you think. The Office of Marketing and Communications is still looking for additional bloggers as well, so if you know of any students -- especially in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences -- who may be interested, please contact Tim Schmitt at x3273 or The first half of the workshop will be devoted to sharing ideas, exercises and experiences that encourage active learning in both large and small classes. Though the session is a follow-up to the active learning workshop that was held last August, anyone can participate. The second half of the workshop will include brainstorming curricular and co-curricular activities for the Engaged Citizen Experience, the all-campus project that will begin in spring 2008 with the theme "Voices of Democracy: Dissent and Dialogue." Brief presentations will be made on groundwork that has already been laid for courses, student life activities and community-wide events. "We think that it is an exciting opportunity to engage the Drake community, but also to draw participation from the wider community," said Kathleen Richardson, chair of the Drake curriculum analysis and planning committee. "Drake can really distinguish itself by this event and become Iowa's forum for dialogue about important issues of our day." Faculty on nine-month appointments will receive a $75 stipend for participating in the workshop. If you have questions, please contact Richardson at x2295 or The celebration will start at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main. A dessert reception will follow in Levitt Hall. The Drake Gospel Choir and St. Paul A.M.E. Gospel Choir will sing. Jennifer Harvey, Drake assistant professor of religion, will discuss King's work and legacy. Erica Austin, a junior from Springfield, Ill., will perform a praise dance. Spoken word presentations will be given by four Drake students -- Maryn Bass, a junior from Kansas City, Mo.; James Bridgeford, a senior from Des Moines; Reggie Lee, a senior from Des Moines; and Sterling Shadd, a first-year student from Oak Lawn, Ill. "Golda was a longtime assistant to late Hoak Smith when he was academic vice president and handled the budget and projects that were essential to his good work," recalled Don Adams, senior counsel and 125th anniversary fellow. "She was very committed to Drake University, helping in any way she could on campus and in the community." Associate Provost Sue Wright said she and her husband, Dean, professor emeritus of sociology, have many fond memories of Sharon and her then husband Dr. Sidney Sands, a psychiatrist at Broadlawns Medical Center. "Golda was unique in many ways," Sue Wright added. "As a member of the academic vice president's staff, she was very involved with faculty. She would regularly have lunch with faculty at Olmsted Center. She was someone to whom faculty would turn for advice on a range of issues." After the death of her husband, Sharon moved to Sarasota, Fla., where she later married Nathan Sharon. She returned to Des Moines in 2001 because of her health. She was active in politics, including campaigns for U.S. Rep. Neal Smith and Gov. Harold Hughes. She also served on the boards of numerous Iowa and Florida non-profit groups and was appointed to several state and national commissions and boards. Survivors include her son, David Sands of Fairfield, Iowa; her daughter, Barbara Royal of West Des Moines; five grandchildren and her former husband, Nathan Sharon of Sarasota, Fla. Memorial contributions may be directed to Drake University or the Iowa Jewish Senior Life Center. Tronick, who retires this month after 31 years at Drake, will have time to pursue his passion for golf with the advantage of a new putter, courtesy of his colleagues on the Student Life staff. Five of those colleagues recited a poem about him at the reception. It began like this: "Tom, Tom, La Crosse's son, |
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