They say everything is bigger in Texas. In many ways, that was true for the Saluki Takeover Tours in Dallas and Houston.

Traveling to the two cities from Monday, Nov. 18, through Thursday, Nov. 21, Chancellor Austin Lane and other campus leaders visited nearly 20 high schools, multiple community colleges, hosted two chancellor’s receptions, two corporate engagement events, and 25 donor visits. There were also two events hosted by donors. Each Saluki Takeover Tour is hosted by the SIU Foundation, in its role as an accelerator for Southern.

“We come here, and we connect. We have been trying to strategically get to Dallas and Houston since I started,” Lane said to a group of more than 125 alumni and friends Tuesday, Nov. 19, at The Henry in Dallas.

More than 110 people gathered at the House of Blues in Houston on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

“We have been doing these takeover tours for three years, and we kept saying we have to get out to Texas,” Lane said. “We can’t recruit and increase enrollment without your energy. Students will come to Southern Illinois if you help us recruit them there.”

At each stop, Chancellor Lane and others touted the importance of spreading the word about SIU and sharing the good news coming from the Carbondale campus. This includes details about recent enrollment increases, the upcoming transition to an R1 research institution, and the ongoing Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign, which is the fifth largest in the history of Illinois public universities.

“We have a half-billion campaign going on. That’s big time,” Lane said. “We started these takeover tours three years ago … to establish relationships and re-engage. Our Foundation is the reason we’re doing the things we’re doing.”

The Imagine SIU 2030 campaign has raised more than $375 million, and it continues until 2028.

Over the past three-plus years, Saluki Takeover Tours have visited Chicago, St. Louis, Springfield, Southern Illinois, Memphis, Nashville, Florida, and Hollywood. More stops are planned in new locations, including Phoenix and others to be announced.

“We get together with alumni, and (university representatives) visit many high schools to grow the pipeline from Dallas to Carbondale,” Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and CEO of the SIU Foundation said. “We leave Carbondale with our flag. We come to Dallas, and we put the flag in the ground, and tell everyone in Dallas that this is Saluki territory!”

The corporate partnerships events included visits to ExxonMobile and AT&T.

Schools visited included:

• South Oakcliff High School
• South Grand Prairie High School
• DeSoto High School
• Gilliam Collegiate Academy
• Fossil Ridge High School
• Barack Obama Leadership Academy
• H Grady Spruce High School
• Justin F. Kimball High School
• Grand Priaire High School
• Lassiter Early College High School
• Wilmer T. Hutchins
• Alief Taylor High School
• Belair High School
• Cincho Ranch High School
• Clear Lake High School
• Davis High School
• Dallas College – Mountain View
• Lone Star College

By Jeff Wilson

CARBONDALE – John and Nancy Jackson’s names are synonymous with education and service around Southern Illinois University and the city of Carbondale. On Thursday, Nov. 7, they were honored with the naming of the John and Nancy Jackson Lobby at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

“SIU and Carbondale have been good to me and my family for over five decades,” John Jackson said. “This is especially gratifying because it connects us in a very tangible way to Paul and Jeanne Simon. I’m proud to be associated with those two. He and Jeanne were two of the very finest people and public servants I have ever known.”

John and Nancy Jackson have shown unwavering dedication to the university and the Carbondale community for more than 50 years. In 2002, the couple was named Carbondale Citizens of the Year.

“This is a big occasion and long overdue,” said Chancellor Austin Lane. “When John and Nancy’s names came up, it was clear this is something we had to make happen.”

Dr. John Jackson first came to Southern in 1969 as a lecturer. He has served the university in many capacities, including interim chancellor, vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and associate dean and acting dean of the graduate school. He also served as visiting professor at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and edited “Southern Illinois at 150 Years: Growth, Accomplishments, and Challenges,” which details the history of the region and university.

“The institute clearly wouldn’t have happened without Paul Simon … but there is, in my opinion, unquestionably one key person that was involved on the front and the backend and the middle and to this day, and that’s John Jackson,” said Brad Cole, CEO of the Illinois Municipal League and former Carbondale mayor.

Nancy Jackson earned her master’s degree in elementary education from Southern in 1982. She taught for many years in the Carbondale Public School system, focusing largely on reading. She spearheaded the “Book in Every Home” program on the SIU Carbondale campus, which collects books to provide to local children. Through the program, tens of thousands of books have been donated.

“As I was thinking about Dr. Jackson and Nancy and why we are doing this today, one word came to mind and it’s ‘service,’” said SIU System President Dan Mahony. “When we name something after someone, we hope to inspire others.”

The Jacksons and others have combined to contribute more than $50,000 to endow the John S. and Nancy Jackson Scholarship Endowment Fund, which provides scholarships to political science students in the College of Liberal Arts. To donate to that fund in honor of the Jacksons, visit siuf.org/give and search for “John S. and Nancy Jackson Scholarship” in the designation menu.

“John and Nancy, thank you for what you have done in the past and what you continue to do,” said Phil Gilbert, chair of the SIU Board of Trustees. “This university is a better place because of your contribution here.”

By Jeff Wilson

The Hayes family has been a fixture around Saluki Athletics since Jim Hayes first came to Southern in 1961 on a football scholarship.

“My dad played linebacker at SIU. He had a great nickname, ‘The Axe,’” his son, Jamie Hayes, said. “From there, it was just always following the Salukis. He had a lot of great loves. He loved his family, the business, his employees, customers, and he loved SIU.”

After graduating from SIU with a degree in education in 1962, Jim Hayes moved to Macomb, where he taught, coached football and married his wife, Bette, in 1966. After taking up car sales as a part-time job, he found a knack for the profession and moved his family to Harrisburg in 1976, founding the Jim Hayes, Inc., car dealership.

Raising his family and growing his business in Southern Illinois, Jim Hayes made a point to support SIU through Saluki Athletics. Jim Hayes passed away in 2018, leaving an incredible legacy at Southern. The dealership is now owned and operated by Jamie Hayes.

“I grew up going with my dad to basketball games. SIU has a history of great coaches and great teams,” he said. “The time spent with my dad was always good. I have great memories of these programs.”

Jamie Hayes has continued and expanded that support throughout his life, including a recent $25,000 pledge to the athletic department and a significant contribution to the Pride of Little Egypt, the Name, Image, and Likeness collective for Saluki Athletics.

“This is just a way of adding to my dad’s legacy,” he said. “I wouldn’t be in a position to do that if it weren’t for him. I think he would be proud. I’m trying to take it to the next level for him. He’s up there cheering on the Dawgs.”

These gifts make him the newest member of the Big Dawg Leadership Society. The society honors the most resolute supporters among Saluki Nation and offers them unique access and opportunities to enhance the fan experience.

The Big Dawg Leadership Society includes three levels:

• Legendary: $75,000 pledge over five years to Saluki Athletics and $2,500 for three years to the Pride of Little Egypt
• Hall of Fame: $50,000 pledge over five years to Saluki Athletics and $2,500 for three years to the Pride of Little Egypt
• Champion: $25,000 pledge over five years to Saluki Athletics and $1,000, one-year commitment to the Pride of Little Egypt

“The success of SIU can do nothing but help the region,” he said. “Now, more than ever, it’s time to step it up a little bit more. You’re going to need more community involvement. You have to bleed maroon no matter what.”

To learn more about the Big Dawg Leadership Society, contact Todd Reeser at toddr@foundation.siu.edu or Kat Martin at katm@foundation.siu.edu.

By Jeff Wilson

CARBONDALE – After visiting the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus for the first time in 52 years, Elaine Gazdeck was inspired to make a transformative impact on women’s sports.

The 1972 graduate pledged a $100,000 planned gift to establish the Elaine Gazdeck Women’s Sports Empowerment Scholarship Endowment Fund, which will benefit women’s basketball and women’s golf.

“I want young women who choose to go to SIU to have the means to do that,” she said. “It’s helping somebody have an opportunity to see what their potential is academically and athletically.”

Gazdeck is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, commonly called Tri Sigma, and she has periodically gathered with her sorority sisters.

“We have always said ‘Let’s go back,’ but for one reason or another, it didn’t happen,” she said. “Then we met in October in Quincy, and I was able to come down for a visit.”

Kat Martin, director of development for Saluki Athletics, set up a full schedule for Gazdeck during her short trip to Carbondale.

“She had a great itinerary. We had lunch, went to basketball practice and met with coaches and team members. I had a great talk with (Women’s Basketball) Coach Kelly Bond-White,” she said. “I had dinner with (Women’s Golf) Coach Rory Weinfurther, went to a softball game, volleyball match, and the football game. I had breakfast with (Athletic Director) Tim Leonard and Kat. It was clear that Tim really cares about women’s sports.”

Gazdeck played sports in high school and started golfing at an early age with her father.

“When I was young, my father got me golf lessons. He was off work on Wednesdays and had no one to golf with, so he asked me ‘Wanna golf?’ So, I went with him on Wednesdays,” she said.

Coming full circle

Growing up in a suburb outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Gazdeck wanted to attend college out of state, but her parents didn’t want her to stray far. She wanted to major in botany and narrowed her focus to three universities – Miami of Ohio, Oregon State, and SIU.

“Oregon was too far, so the summer before my senior year of high school, my father rented a camper and we camped at Crab Orchard Lake,” she said. “We got to see campus, and my parents liked it. Tuition was a little less expensive than at Miami of Ohio, so we decided to give it a try. I received a scholarship for the first year, which helped.”

After studying botany for three years, she changed her major to recreation and graduated from what is now the College of Health and Human Sciences. She moved to Chicago and took a job with a pharmaceutical company, working to help its veterinary division understand and meet new drug regulations. After about 10 years, she switched to human pharmaceutical development. She worked in Kansas City, San Francisco, and then took a “gap year” and traveled across the U.S. and Canada. She settled in Colorado in 1988, continuing a career in pharmaceutical development helping start-up companies navigate the regulatory pathway in drug development.

“I had a great career. I worked during the time that pharmaceutical development embraced new technologies to help people. It was good times,” she said.

Outside of work, she has lived an active lifestyle, continuing to golf, travel, ski and kayak. She also became involved with sled dog racing, working with a team in the 2008 Iditarod.

“In sports, you learn how to work as a team. A lot of life skills come from it,” she said. “I want to give young women opportunities to develop these valuable skills.”

During her visit to Southern, Gazdeck also made a trip to the spot where her Saluki journey started.

“I drove out to Crab Orchard. I wanted to see where it all began. I sat by the lake. It was pretty nostalgic,” she said. “I had such a good experience at SIU and made lifelong friends. With this being a planned gift, I won’t be here to see it manifest, but that’s OK. I just want women to succeed.”

To learn more about planned giving, visit siufgiving.org.