$20 million donated to Offutt School of Business by anonymous donor

MOORHEAD – Last Thursday, Sept. 5, local media members along with various Concordia faculty and staff gathered inside Barry Auditorium at the Offutt School of Business for a press conference. 

First up to the podium was Concordia’s Vice President of Advancement Terry Brandt, who gave opening remarks regarding the reason for the conference. 

“It is with immense excitement that we gather this morning to announce a truly transformative gift from an anonymous donor to the Offutt School of Business,” Brandt said. “We are deeply grateful for this donor’s trust and belief in Concordia College’s mission. Their generosity will elevate the Offutt School of Business and strengthen Concordia’s position as a leader in innovative values-driven education.”

The next speaker was Colin Irvine, President of Concordia. Irvine recalled the recent investments made at the college such as the new Heimarck building and outdoor track citing them as drivers for the surge in freshman enrollment this year. He continued to talk about what this gift meant for the future of the college. 

“This gift, this investment in the college’s future represents an endorsement of a vision. A vision where an education helps make hopes and dreams realities for individuals and the communities of which they are an integral part,” Irvine said.  

Following President Irvine, Provost and Dean of Concordia Susan Larson spoke. She mentioned the new programs that have been added to the Offutt School of Business this year and stated that this donation will allow them to look at adding more programs as well as additional graduate options.  

“The gift will lay the groundwork for expanding our graduate program offerings. We are undertaking feasibility studies for an MBA. We will also launch graduate certificates in management and business analytics,” said Larson.  

Larson also touched on how the donation would work with the newly launched Concordia Promise to give even more students an opportunity to attend Concordia. 

“We have prioritized funding from this gift to provide scholarship support to Offutt School of Business students. We seek to make it possible for even more students to experience the impactful education offered at Concordia College,” said Larson. 

After that Dean of the Offutt School of Business, Chris Mason delivered some remarks. Mason celebrated the innovative programs and experiences that an education at the Offutt School of Business can give Concordia students.  

To back it up Mason introduced two Concordia business students, Alexandra Sousa and Jacob Pipho to talk about the experiences they have had and the education they have received.  

After that, Terry Brandt returned to the stage to give a final thank you and wrap up the press conference.  

While many of the specific plans are still unclear, the Offutt School of Business will be using the 20-million-dollar donation to work on improving existing facilities and programs. They will add more experiential learning opportunities that future students can take advantage of.