Insights and Flexibility

Ann Madden Rice (’79 industrial administration and accounting) has a long family tree at Iowa State University.

And although Ann lives in Sacramento, Calif., her ties to Iowa State continue to grow. Her youngest daughter, Charlotte, is a freshman accounting major on campus, and Ann has recently joined the College of Business’s Dean’s Advisory Council.

It’s because of these continued ties that Ann and her husband, Tom Rice (’79 political science), are now giving back to their alma mater.

“Joining the College of Business’ Dean’s Advisory Council was an opportunity to give back to Iowa State and keep in touch,” Ann said.

The advisory council also benefits Ann. The current chief executive officer of the University of CaliforniaDavis Medical Center said she enjoys the interaction between other members of the council.

“There’s a nice cross section of professionals on the council, and their perspectives on various issues give me insights I normally don’t get in my profession,” she said.

Serving on the council also gives Ann an up-close-and-personal look at the needs of the College of Business. Ann and Tom have recently committed $35,000 over five years. The funds are unrestricted and are used at the discretion of the college’s dean. That stipulation was important to the couple, Ann said.

“We wanted to provide funds that the dean could use to further advance the excellence of the college,” she said. “Given the economic climate, we thought it was important for the college to have the flexibility to use the funds for scholarships or recruit an outstanding faculty member to campus.

“We could have done this year to year, but we felt it was important to allow for funds that the College of Business could count on for a multi-year commitment.”