Meet Our Donors
Richard E. Willey '71 and Rosalind S. Weiss
In 2011, NVU received its first $1 million gift from longtime donors Richard E. Willey, JSC class of 1971, and his wife, Rosalind S. Weiss, of Harrisburg, Pa, in the form of an irrevocable bequest, which is divided between two endowments at the college: the Library Endowment and the Julia V. and Ervin L Willey Scholarship Endowment. In recognition of this contribution, JSC named its library and learning center the Willey Library & Learning Center.
In establishing the Julia V. and Ervin L Willey Scholarship Endowment in honor of his parents, Mr. Willey noted that they were born into an early 1900s farming community in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. "Being from families of modest means, they were not privileged to have been able to finish high school, let alone to have the opportunity to pursue higher education," he wrote. "As a result, they worked hard and sacrificed to make available to their children educational opportunities that had not been available to them. This endowment continues that spirit of hard work and sacrifice on behalf of future generations."
Richard Willey earned his undergraduate degree in history, political science and economics from JSC and a master's degree in public administration from Penn State University. He worked on budget policy in Pennsylvania in the office of the governor and for the general assembly before working for the law firm of Stevens and Lee, where he represented clients ranging from universities and electric companies to multinational corporations. He retired in 2007 as president and CEO of American Education Services and Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (AES/PHEAA).
Mr. Willey received the "Distinguished Alumni Award" from JSC in 2000. At the time he wrote, "I owe everything that I have been able to do to the solid educational foundation that I received at Johnson State. The quality of the faculty and the intimacy of size gave me the confidence to know I could compete with people who come from the so-called —best schools' in the country."
