Farewell to Greg and Rita

By Bowen Orcutt

LBCC will be receiving a heartfelt parting gift from longtime president Greg Hamann, in anticipation of his impending retirement. Hamann and his wife, Rita, have established a $25,000 endowment fund to further the freedom of expression on campus -- a cause that both of them have supported extensively throughout the more than a decade that they’ve been involved with the LB community. 

In a video recorded with Jennifer Boehmer, executive director of LBCC Institutional Advancement, Hamann elaborated on his reasons for setting up the endowment fund: “As we’re leaving, and I’m retiring, we want to do something special, something that really shows our appreciation for the school and our continued commitment to the mission we have. 

“So, my wife and I have chosen to contribute $25,000 to an endowment that will support freedom of expression, of inquiry, and of thought on our campus, because we believe that that’s really the core of the work that we do here, and the extent to which we can support students’ exploration of what’s possible in their life and what’s possible for us as a community seems to be some of the most important work that we have.”

The “Greg and Rita Hamann Freedom Fund” will be released in payouts of 5% annually, which is around $1250 per year. The funds will be used for “anything the LBCC Foundation decides fits with the idea of supporting freedom of expression and viewpoint diversity,” according to Boehmer. This will include such things as hiring guest speakers and providing scholarships and stipends for student projects. According to Boehmer, the first payouts will start at the start of the next school year. 

Anyone interested in making a contribution to, or learn more about, the Greg and Rita Hamann Freedom Fund can contact the LBCC Foundation at 541-917-4209.