Tom Thomas ’81 still finds himself drawn back to UW-Green Bay. It’s part nostalgia, but also because he sees a campus that keeps rising. “I just am in awe, because of the growth and the feeling and the environment. It’s just amazing,” he said.
The idea of being a participant in progress is why he chose to make a legacy gift. After reflecting on what impact he wanted to leave, Thomas made what he said was an easy decision: “I decided that I’m going to channel my assets to different organizations. UWGB was top of the list.”
He’s directing his estate to support two priorities: the Fund for Excellence, which supports the university’s general needs, and Women’s Basketball, a program he and his partner, Connie Schmitt, have cheered on for years.
Thomas knows firsthand how much UW-Green Bay has grown. A Communications major with a Marketing emphasis, he graduated in 1981 and went on to a career in publications and marketing, retiring as Publications Manager at UnitedHealthcare in 2018.
Even now, he bikes through campus and sees momentum—the new Cort Condon Residence Hall, the STEM Center, the in-construction CTEC building, a university that feels alive. “Giving is so easy to do, because you’re seeing the growth,” he said. Giving to the Fund for Excellence, he said, was a priority. With UW-Green Bay being the fastest-growing school in the Universities of Wisconsin, he doesn’t know where funds might be needed in future years.
His connection runs through athletics, too. Years ago, Thomas and Connie started attending women’s basketball games and “were just hooked.” The draw isn’t just wins (though seeing the team attend their 20th consecutive NCAA tournament this year was a plus); it’s the whole experience. The pep band, the dance team, being part of a fan base that feels like family—it’s, “nothing short of contagious,” he said. He also pointed to the pride of supporting a team with a 3.86 spring semester GPA, the highest average in Division One Women’s Basketball.
Though he’s part of the Niagara Society for legacy donors, Thomas doesn’t consider himself a big booster of the University. He’s a “participant,” an investor, someone interested in directing his support to a cause he believes in. To Thomas, that’s what makes a legacy. He hopes other alumni will think the same way.
To learn more about making a legacy gift, contact UW-Green Bay Advancement at advancement@uwgb.edu or call (920) 465-2074