Published May 6, 2025
MONROE, LA – The University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation recognized donors and lifetime benefactors
at the annual Evening of Thanks event on Friday, May 2, 2025, in the Terrace Room
on the 7th floor of the ULM Library. The theme of the 2025 event was “Celebrating Our Life Changers.”
Attendees enjoyed musical performances from the ULM School of Visual and Performing
Arts and personal testimonies from Rosemary Manning, Amaya West, and Michael Crenshaw.
Janet Durden and Paul von Diezelski were recipients of the 2025 Warhawk Ambassador
Award.
Donors who reached new lifetime giving levels in The Kitty DeGree Bell Tower Society
within the last year were also honored at the event.
Moving up to the Tower Society, with lifetime donations of over $1,000,000, were Mark
and Mildred Maurer.
Moving up to the Bayou Society, with lifetime donations of over $500,000, were Marilyn
and Lou St. Amant, Jeff and Denise Donald, Everett Stagg, Leslie H. Smith, Lori and
Louis Ray, Ron and Cindy Mason, and Lee and Anna Denny.
Advancing to the Ouachita Society, with lifetime donations of over $100,000, were
the Tom and Sue Nicholson, Leazel and Scott McDonald, Cindy and Dennis Rogers, AmWins
Group, Inc., and Harvey Marcus, Sr.
New Cornerstone Society members, with lifetime donations of over $50,000, included
Sherry and John Mark Wilhite, Michael W. Nolan, Blair Michel and the NLU Indians,
Paul and Teresa von Diezelski, Stewart Causey, Bobby Craighead, Kenny and Jane P.
Brown, Drs. Bethany Stillion and John M. Pratte, Marion State Bank, John M. Guice,
Homeland Federal Savings Bank, and Sam and Sally Davison and family.
ULM Foundation Executive Director Susan Chappell announced that as of the end of 2024,
the ULM Foundation reached $109.5M in total assets since its inception. “Tonight,
we celebrate you who change the lives of students, teachers, administration, the community,
state, nation, and the world. We can’t thank you enough!” said Chappell to the gathered
crowd of donors.
Toni Bacon introduced the 2025 winners of the Warhawk Ambassador Award, Janet Durden
and Paul von Diezelski. The ULM Warhawk Ambassador Award honors the individuals whose
interests and loyalty are evident in their deeds and actions, reflecting and recognizing
the importance of ULM in our local and global community and demonstrating pride in
the University.
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| Janet Durden |
A native of Mississippi, Janet S. Durden served as the President of United Way of
Northeast Louisiana from 1985 until her recent retirement in March 2025.
In 2021, in collaboration with Janet and the United Way, ULM provided a book, authored
by Cindy Foust and illustrated by Srdjan Marjanovic, to over 2000 area 3rd graders during the week of ULM’s 90th anniversary. Over 100 volunteers helped read the book on the university’s campus
and in local classrooms. Printed on the first page of the book is a “2031 Centennial
Scholarship” award amounting to $500.
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| Paul von Diezelski |
Paul von Diezelski graduated from ULM in 1976 with a Health/Physical Education degree
and just a few credits shy of a dual degree in accounting. While attending college,
he lettered in football and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Paul and his
wife, Teresa, also a ULM graduate, recently joined the Cornerstone level of the Kitty
Degree Bell Tower Society, which recognizes overall giving to ULM. He is a Lifetime
member of the ULM L-Club. He also served on the ULM Athletic Foundation. He and
Teresa often host softball players for dinner to give them a little taste of home.
Paul has advocated for ULM since his graduation, through years of being a season ticket
holder in multiple sports, attending on-campus and community events that support ULM
and quoting routinely, “I love this University and tell anyone who will listen.”
ULM Foundation Board of Trustees President Charles Jackson concluded the evening with
words of gratitude for the attendees. “I want to add my voice to those you’ve already
heard from this evening and say Thank you!” said Jackson. “You’ve heard stories tonight
of lives changed by this University in years past and seen that lives are still being
changed today. More importantly, you’ve seen the promise of lives to be changed in
the future,” he added.
For more information about the ULM Foundation and giving opportunities, please visit
ulm.edu/foundation.
Click here to view a commemorative video that was shown at the 2025 Evening of Thanks.
Click here to view more photos from the 2025 Evening of Thanks.
