Kansas State University

MANHATTAN -- Stephen and Cathryn Wiltfong Lacy, Des Moines, Iowa, have made a $1 million gift to support the new building for the College of Business Administration at Kansas State University.

The proposed new building plan has 140,000 square feet of space featuring tiered classrooms, a large showcase lecture hall, computer labs, a financial research lab and an executive conference room. The plans include dedicated space for entrepreneurship and sales education, as well as space for study, collaboration and networking throughout the building. The goal is to deliver the brightest future possible for business students, including collaboration with industry and networking opportunities from the start of their college careers.

Stephen Lacy graduated from Kansas State University in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in accounting. He earned a master's degree in business administration from the university in 1977. He is chairman and CEO of Meredith Corp., which has publishing and broadcasting offices across the country and is based in Des Moines. He is on the executive committee of the dean's advisory council for the College of Business Administration, serves on the board of trustees of the Kansas State University Foundation and is on the foundation's board of directors. He was honored in 2006 as the College of Business Administration's Distinguished Business Leader of the Year and was inducted into the Distinguished Business Leaders Hall of Fame that same year. In 2008, Stephen Lacy was named an alumni fellow by the K-State Alumni Association.

Cathryn Wiltfong Lacy graduated from Kansas State University in 1979 with a degree in dietetics and institutional management from the College of Human Ecology. She earned her master's degree in public administration from Drake University in 1986. She previously served as director of health promotion and wellness programs for Iowa Lutheran Hospital. She is an active leader in a number of Des Moines-based community and educational institutions and is currently on the board of trustees of the KSU Foundation.

"Cathy and I are lifetime Kansas State University supporters," Steve Lacy said. "I received a strong foundation from the College of Business Administration that has served me very well throughout my career. We are pleased to support the future growth and success of Kansas State and the College of Business Administration in particular."

The Lacys are members of the KSU Foundation's President's Club, a philanthropic leadership organization for friends and alumni of Kansas State University, and the Land Grant Legacy Society, which honors those who have included the university in their estate plans. They have served the university in a number of capacities, notably as regional committee members for the university's most recent large-scale fundraising effort, the Changing Lives Campaign.

"Steve and Cathy Lacy have been supporters of K-State and advocates for the College of Business Administration for many years," said Ali Malekzadeh, Edgerley family dean of the College of Business Administration. "We are very grateful for their commitment to our students and for helping us build a bright future for generations of K-Staters."

"Steve and Cathy Lacy's generosity to K-State, through their philanthropic support and the contribution of their leadership and expertise have been invaluable," said Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University. "Their gift to the new business building will help move this project forward. We are very grateful for all that Steve and Cathy do for K-State."

Philanthropic contributions to Kansas State University are coordinated by the KSU Foundation. The foundation staff works with university partners to build lifelong relationships with alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students through involvement and investment in the university.