Honors College students at George Mason University will benefit from a new scholarship endowment fund established in honor of Gerald Gordon, the retiring president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA).
The Dr. Gerald L. Gordon Scholarship Fund was kicked off in December with a generous $50,000 challenge grant from PenFed Credit Union, America’s second-largest federal credit union, serving 1.7 million members worldwide. PenFed will match gifts from the community up to that amount, with the funds used to support Honors College undergraduates pursuing studies in STEM, economics, and other fields relevant to economic growth in Fairfax County.
A long-time advisor to and supporter of the Honors College, Dr. Gordon is the founding chairman of the Honors College Advisory Board, started in 2014. A true ambassador for the Honors College, he has facilitated the creation of multiple internships for Honors College students at the FCEDA and elsewhere.
“Dr. Gordon never loses sight of the important connection between education and economic development,” said Zofia Burr, dean of the Honors College. “He understands that in order to be prepared for the future, young people need to learn how to consider complex problems from multiple perspectives.”
“Jerry is an asset to Fairfax County and indeed all of Virginia,” said PenFed executive vice president Rocky Mitchell at a December event in Tysons, according to the Fairfax News. “PenFed’s president and CEO, James Schenck, and our entire executive team feel this challenge grant is a most appropriate way to celebrate Jerry’s legacy.”
A nationally recognized expert on planning and economic development, Dr. Gordon has taught at Catholic University, the University of Maryland, George Mason University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Business Magazine named him “Business Person of the Year” in 2010, and he is regularly listed by the magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential Virginians.
“We are so excited to be able to establish this legacy in Jerry’s name,” said Cathy Lange, chair of the FCEDA Commission, which coordinated the establishment of the Gordon Scholarship Fund.
Donations to the fund can be made online here in any amount. For those contributing by mail, checks can be made payable to GMU Foundation. Please note the “Dr. Gerald L. Gordon Scholarship Fund” in the memo field, and mail to:
Mr. Valentino K. Bryant
Director of Advancement, Honors College
George Mason University
4400 University Drive MS 1F4
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
1/10/19
