Building Champions - Donor Bios
Bill & Cindy Keller
Pratt, KS
Cindy and Bill, a 1972 K-State graduate, along with their three children, Mandy Funk, and John Keller, who are K-State graduates, and Sarah Keller, who attended K-State, are longtime supporters of K-State Athletics and the Ahearn Fund. Bill and Cindy are also the proud grandparents of three granddaughters and three grandsons, who are 4th generation K-Staters in the Keller family. The Kellers enjoy seeing student-athletes showing an appreciation and understanding of their special K-State experience and developing values which they will use for their entire lives. “Cindy and I want to support K-State as a way to repay K-State for the value it has provided to immediate and extended family,” says Bill. “K-State serves many of the most important needs of the state of Kansas and beyond, making K-State a great university deserving of our support.”
James & Laura Johnson
Colorado Springs, CO
Jim and Laura Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, are longtime fans and loyal supporters of K-State Athletics and Kansas State University. Jim was born in Wichita, Kansas, and grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in construction science and began his career in Texas. Through an established partnership between Kansas State University, K-State Athletics and the Johnsons, Jim and Laura are grateful to be part of the investment that Kansas State University is making. “Laura and I are excited to have the ability to continue to invest in the student-athlete experience at K-State. The constant improvements to the facilities is a vital role in helping K-State continue to create a championship culture, in the classroom and on the field of play.”
Shamrock Trading Corporation
Overland Park, KS
The game day experience means good times with family and friends and memories that last a lifetime according to brothers Bill and Martin Ryan. Bill, the Chairman and Founder of Shamrock Trading Corp, and Martin, Senior Vice-President say, “Our families are honored to support K-State Athletics and connect with so many wonderful people. Yet again, we are excited to participate in a project that will complete the south side of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium, impact the North end of Bramlage and set the tone for Kansas State Athletics for years to come.” The Ryan brothers and Shamrock have had significant participation in every major K-State Athletics project since 2010, including the Ice Family Basketball Center, West Stadium Center, Vanier Family Football Complex, and now the Building Champions Capital Initiative.
Carl R. & Mary Ice
Westlake, TX
Carl Ice is a career railroader while currently serving as president and CEO of BNSF Railway and he began his career with Santa Fe Railway after graduating from the Kansas State University College of Engineering in 1979. His wife, Mary, is a 1980 graduate of the College of Health and Human Sciences and earned a master’s degree from the College of Education. Together they serve on the board of trustees of the KSU Foundation and in October 2019 Carl will become Chairman of the KSU Foundation Board of Directors. Carl is also a past chair of the College of Engineering Advisory Council, former member of the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Advisory Council, and through the Ice’s generosity have been honored as the first college in Kansas State University history to be named the “Carl R. Ice College of Engineering”. Mary is a former member of the President’s Advisory Committee in Intercollegiate Athletics and the Ahearn Fund Advisory Group along with K-State Alumni Association board of directors and also served as president of the College of Health and Human Sciences Alumni Advisory Board. Carl and Mary say “K-State Athletics has continued to improve the experience of both student-athletes and fans. We feel this initiative is a wonderful way to advance those causes and provide facilities that will contribute to K-State continuing to be a great place”.
Vanier Family
Salina, KS – Manhattan, KS
The relationship between the Vanier family and K-State Athletics dates back many decades. Their dedicated support played a central role in the “greatest turnaround in the history of college football” with multiple lead contributions to the original Vanier Football Complex and several subsequent expansions. Their generosity continued with the lead gift for the new Vanier Family Football Complex in 2013, which was part of the largest gift in the history of Kansas State University.
K-State Athletics is proud to announce the largest gift in the history of K-State Athletics made by John and Kim Vanier, Marty Vanier, and Mary Vanier to the Building Champions Capital Initiative. This lead transformational gift has sparked unprecedented giving and support to this capital initiative. “K-State Athletics has been such an important part of our family's life for so many years. To have a master plan and be able to see what K-State will have to offer future generations is a dream come true. We are very proud and very thankful that we can be a part of that future.”
John and Kim Vanier reside in Salina where he continues to manage Vanier Land Company/Western Star Ag Resources, while Mary and Marty both live in the Manhattan area. Mary Vanier is president of Grand Mere Development, Manhattan’s only master planned golf course community and serves on the KSU Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Marty Vanier serves as the Director of the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center at Kansas State University and is second in command at K-State’s Biosecurity Research Institute. The K-State Family will be forever grateful for the leadership, generosity, friendship, and continued support of the entire Vanier Family.
Paul and Sandra Edgerley
Brookline, MA
Paul Edgerley was a managing director at Bain Capital from 1990 until his retirement in January 2016. Since his retirement he serves as a Senior Advisor to the firm. During his time at Bain Capital, Mr. Edgerley played a senior leadership role in the firm, co-leading the private equity business, overseeing the firm’s expansion into Asia, and serving as the co-head of the firm’s investment committee. He is also a managing director of VantEdge Partners, a private investment family office group focused on building partnership that grow excellent companies. Paul currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sensata Technologies, Hero MotoCorp, APEX Tool Group, TI Automotive, Boston Celtics and AS Roma.
He also serves on the Board of Directors of Year Up, the Board of Massachusetts General Hospital, the Dean’s Advisory Board at Harvard Business School and is Commission Chair of Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act (SIPPRA), a federal government bi-partisan commission. Paul previously served as Co-Chair of the Harvard University Capital Campaign; Co-Chair of the Harvard Campaign for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Trust Board of Kansas State University, Children’s Hospital Trust Board, the Board of New Profit, Inc. and the US Board of The Right to Play.
Prior to joining Bain Capital, Paul spent five years at Bain & Company where he worked as a Consultant and Manager in the healthcare, information services, retail and automobile industries. Previously, he was a certified public accountant working at Peat Marwick, Mitchell & Company. Paul was awarded an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University.
He and his wife, Sandra, a FAS and HBS graduate, reside in Brookline. They have four grown children, three of which are FAS graduates.
Cecil & Frances O’Brate
Garden City, KS
Cecil & Frances O’Brate are proud Kansans and generous philanthropists to many worthy causes, mostly involving youth in the Garden City area. Through his foundation, Cecil provides multiple scholarships for Western Kansas youth who have been in foster care and/or are first generation college students to attend colleges and universities, including K-State. They have also become passionate and involved supporters of K-State Athletics. Cecil and Frances have positively impacted the lives of many student-athletes through lead contributions to the Ice Family Basketball Center, West Stadium Center, Vanier Family Football Complex, and now the Building Champions Capital Initiative. The O’Brates appreciate the leadership of President Myers and Gene Taylor and are very passionate and excited to see that the Building Champions facility projects will have a direct impact on all programs, student-athletes, and fans.
Steel & Pipe Supply
Manhattan, KS
Steel & Pipe Supply, Co., Inc., a Midwest steel distribution and manufacturing company, has experienced tremendous growth and remained focused on building lasting relationships with its customers by exceeding their expectation for service. The company has seen the same philosophy when it comes to its relationships with K-State Athletics. Having been founded in Manhattan more than 85 years ago, the company, “believes that our support of K-State Athletics is an effective way of supporting both Kansas State University and the city of Manhattan at the same time.” This gift to the Building Champions Capital Initiative was made possible through the contributions of the Marvin S. Robinson Trust.
Steve and Cathy Lacy
Des Moines, IA
Cathy, a 1979 graduate of Kansas State University, and Steve a 1976 and 1977 graduate, feel that watching the execution of the Athletic Department’s Master Plan has been particularly rewarding. “We are very excited about the Building Champions Initiative and happy to support facilities that will be used and enjoyed by student-athletes on a daily basis.” Steve and Cathy also have two children, Paul and Mary, and are avid supporters and volunteers for both K-State Athletics and different activities on campus.
Vern and Joan Herbel
McKinney, TX
Joan graduated from Kansas State University in 1978 from the College of Health and Human Sciences, and Vern graduated in 1979 from the College of Business Administration. Vern recently retired as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Torchmark Corporation after a 32 year career. The Herbels are avid supporters and volunteers for K-State. Vern and Joan believe that it is a privilege to be able to give back to the alma mater which gave them such fond memories and was so instrumental in their success today. Supporting the building of new facilities is key for Kansas State’s continued success. Vern and Joan have a son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Blaise, and a daughter, Sara and her fiancé, Brad.
Jim Bob Morris
Bloomington, IL
As a former K-State student-athlete himself, Jim Bob Morris knows that state of the art facilities are critical for major college athletics. A native of Virgil, KS, Jim Bob played football for the Cats under head coach Jim Dickey and earned All-Big 8 honors as a safety leading the team to the Independence Bowl in 1982. He went on to have a 6 year career in professional football, including a successful tenure with the Green Bay Packers. After retiring from football in 1990, Jim Bob has gone on to own and build several food packaging and ingredient companies as well as launching several new tech ventures and startups. He is excited to support K-State student-athletes, “Giving our teams the tools to succeed on the field and in life is what we are all about – we are honored to join the K-State Family in this monumental initiative.” In addition to supporting K-State Athletics, Morris served as the lead benefactor for the upcoming Morris Family Multicultural Student Center, set to open in Fall of 2020.
Ward and Brenda Morgan
Manhattan, KS
Ward and Brenda Morgan are strong leaders, visionary entrepreneurs and passionate K-Staters in the Manhattan community. Ward grew up in Oberlin, Kansas and Brenda was born and raised in Manhattan. Brenda attended Kansas State in late 1980s and Ward completed his bachelor’s degree at K-State in business in 1993. Their daughter, Brittany graduated with an Animal Science degree from K-State. They have a son, Matthew who currently resides in Tokyo, Japan with his sister Brittany studying the Japanese language and culture. The Morgans are owners of CivicPlus which is headquartered in downtown Manhattan. Ward and Brenda also own Tallgrass Taphouse, 324 Speakeasy, and were instrumental in starting the Green Apple Bikes program. Their most recent endeavor was founding the Midwest Dream Car Collection, an automotive museum that recently opened on the west side of Manhattan. In their free time they enjoy traveling and attending home and away K-State sporting events. The Morgans have enjoyed and benefited from the success of K-State sports. “We are excited to make this gift to provide quality athletic facilities, which will benefit the great student-athletes and coaches at K-State.”
Pratt, KS
Cindy and Bill, a 1972 K-State graduate, along with their three children, Mandy Funk, and John Keller, who are K-State graduates, and Sarah Keller, who attended K-State, are longtime supporters of K-State Athletics and the Ahearn Fund. Bill and Cindy are also the proud grandparents of three granddaughters and three grandsons, who are 4th generation K-Staters in the Keller family. The Kellers enjoy seeing student-athletes showing an appreciation and understanding of their special K-State experience and developing values which they will use for their entire lives. “Cindy and I want to support K-State as a way to repay K-State for the value it has provided to immediate and extended family,” says Bill. “K-State serves many of the most important needs of the state of Kansas and beyond, making K-State a great university deserving of our support.”
James & Laura Johnson
Colorado Springs, CO
Jim and Laura Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, are longtime fans and loyal supporters of K-State Athletics and Kansas State University. Jim was born in Wichita, Kansas, and grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in construction science and began his career in Texas. Through an established partnership between Kansas State University, K-State Athletics and the Johnsons, Jim and Laura are grateful to be part of the investment that Kansas State University is making. “Laura and I are excited to have the ability to continue to invest in the student-athlete experience at K-State. The constant improvements to the facilities is a vital role in helping K-State continue to create a championship culture, in the classroom and on the field of play.”
Shamrock Trading Corporation
Overland Park, KS
The game day experience means good times with family and friends and memories that last a lifetime according to brothers Bill and Martin Ryan. Bill, the Chairman and Founder of Shamrock Trading Corp, and Martin, Senior Vice-President say, “Our families are honored to support K-State Athletics and connect with so many wonderful people. Yet again, we are excited to participate in a project that will complete the south side of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium, impact the North end of Bramlage and set the tone for Kansas State Athletics for years to come.” The Ryan brothers and Shamrock have had significant participation in every major K-State Athletics project since 2010, including the Ice Family Basketball Center, West Stadium Center, Vanier Family Football Complex, and now the Building Champions Capital Initiative.
Carl R. & Mary Ice
Westlake, TX
Carl Ice is a career railroader while currently serving as president and CEO of BNSF Railway and he began his career with Santa Fe Railway after graduating from the Kansas State University College of Engineering in 1979. His wife, Mary, is a 1980 graduate of the College of Health and Human Sciences and earned a master’s degree from the College of Education. Together they serve on the board of trustees of the KSU Foundation and in October 2019 Carl will become Chairman of the KSU Foundation Board of Directors. Carl is also a past chair of the College of Engineering Advisory Council, former member of the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Advisory Council, and through the Ice’s generosity have been honored as the first college in Kansas State University history to be named the “Carl R. Ice College of Engineering”. Mary is a former member of the President’s Advisory Committee in Intercollegiate Athletics and the Ahearn Fund Advisory Group along with K-State Alumni Association board of directors and also served as president of the College of Health and Human Sciences Alumni Advisory Board. Carl and Mary say “K-State Athletics has continued to improve the experience of both student-athletes and fans. We feel this initiative is a wonderful way to advance those causes and provide facilities that will contribute to K-State continuing to be a great place”.
Vanier Family
Salina, KS – Manhattan, KS
The relationship between the Vanier family and K-State Athletics dates back many decades. Their dedicated support played a central role in the “greatest turnaround in the history of college football” with multiple lead contributions to the original Vanier Football Complex and several subsequent expansions. Their generosity continued with the lead gift for the new Vanier Family Football Complex in 2013, which was part of the largest gift in the history of Kansas State University.
K-State Athletics is proud to announce the largest gift in the history of K-State Athletics made by John and Kim Vanier, Marty Vanier, and Mary Vanier to the Building Champions Capital Initiative. This lead transformational gift has sparked unprecedented giving and support to this capital initiative. “K-State Athletics has been such an important part of our family's life for so many years. To have a master plan and be able to see what K-State will have to offer future generations is a dream come true. We are very proud and very thankful that we can be a part of that future.”
John and Kim Vanier reside in Salina where he continues to manage Vanier Land Company/Western Star Ag Resources, while Mary and Marty both live in the Manhattan area. Mary Vanier is president of Grand Mere Development, Manhattan’s only master planned golf course community and serves on the KSU Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Marty Vanier serves as the Director of the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center at Kansas State University and is second in command at K-State’s Biosecurity Research Institute. The K-State Family will be forever grateful for the leadership, generosity, friendship, and continued support of the entire Vanier Family.
Paul and Sandra Edgerley
Brookline, MA
Paul Edgerley was a managing director at Bain Capital from 1990 until his retirement in January 2016. Since his retirement he serves as a Senior Advisor to the firm. During his time at Bain Capital, Mr. Edgerley played a senior leadership role in the firm, co-leading the private equity business, overseeing the firm’s expansion into Asia, and serving as the co-head of the firm’s investment committee. He is also a managing director of VantEdge Partners, a private investment family office group focused on building partnership that grow excellent companies. Paul currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sensata Technologies, Hero MotoCorp, APEX Tool Group, TI Automotive, Boston Celtics and AS Roma.
He also serves on the Board of Directors of Year Up, the Board of Massachusetts General Hospital, the Dean’s Advisory Board at Harvard Business School and is Commission Chair of Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act (SIPPRA), a federal government bi-partisan commission. Paul previously served as Co-Chair of the Harvard University Capital Campaign; Co-Chair of the Harvard Campaign for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Trust Board of Kansas State University, Children’s Hospital Trust Board, the Board of New Profit, Inc. and the US Board of The Right to Play.
Prior to joining Bain Capital, Paul spent five years at Bain & Company where he worked as a Consultant and Manager in the healthcare, information services, retail and automobile industries. Previously, he was a certified public accountant working at Peat Marwick, Mitchell & Company. Paul was awarded an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University.
He and his wife, Sandra, a FAS and HBS graduate, reside in Brookline. They have four grown children, three of which are FAS graduates.
Cecil & Frances O’Brate
Garden City, KS
Cecil & Frances O’Brate are proud Kansans and generous philanthropists to many worthy causes, mostly involving youth in the Garden City area. Through his foundation, Cecil provides multiple scholarships for Western Kansas youth who have been in foster care and/or are first generation college students to attend colleges and universities, including K-State. They have also become passionate and involved supporters of K-State Athletics. Cecil and Frances have positively impacted the lives of many student-athletes through lead contributions to the Ice Family Basketball Center, West Stadium Center, Vanier Family Football Complex, and now the Building Champions Capital Initiative. The O’Brates appreciate the leadership of President Myers and Gene Taylor and are very passionate and excited to see that the Building Champions facility projects will have a direct impact on all programs, student-athletes, and fans.
Steel & Pipe Supply
Manhattan, KS
Steel & Pipe Supply, Co., Inc., a Midwest steel distribution and manufacturing company, has experienced tremendous growth and remained focused on building lasting relationships with its customers by exceeding their expectation for service. The company has seen the same philosophy when it comes to its relationships with K-State Athletics. Having been founded in Manhattan more than 85 years ago, the company, “believes that our support of K-State Athletics is an effective way of supporting both Kansas State University and the city of Manhattan at the same time.” This gift to the Building Champions Capital Initiative was made possible through the contributions of the Marvin S. Robinson Trust.
Steve and Cathy Lacy
Des Moines, IA
Cathy, a 1979 graduate of Kansas State University, and Steve a 1976 and 1977 graduate, feel that watching the execution of the Athletic Department’s Master Plan has been particularly rewarding. “We are very excited about the Building Champions Initiative and happy to support facilities that will be used and enjoyed by student-athletes on a daily basis.” Steve and Cathy also have two children, Paul and Mary, and are avid supporters and volunteers for both K-State Athletics and different activities on campus.
Vern and Joan Herbel
McKinney, TX
Joan graduated from Kansas State University in 1978 from the College of Health and Human Sciences, and Vern graduated in 1979 from the College of Business Administration. Vern recently retired as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Torchmark Corporation after a 32 year career. The Herbels are avid supporters and volunteers for K-State. Vern and Joan believe that it is a privilege to be able to give back to the alma mater which gave them such fond memories and was so instrumental in their success today. Supporting the building of new facilities is key for Kansas State’s continued success. Vern and Joan have a son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Blaise, and a daughter, Sara and her fiancé, Brad.
Jim Bob Morris
Bloomington, IL
As a former K-State student-athlete himself, Jim Bob Morris knows that state of the art facilities are critical for major college athletics. A native of Virgil, KS, Jim Bob played football for the Cats under head coach Jim Dickey and earned All-Big 8 honors as a safety leading the team to the Independence Bowl in 1982. He went on to have a 6 year career in professional football, including a successful tenure with the Green Bay Packers. After retiring from football in 1990, Jim Bob has gone on to own and build several food packaging and ingredient companies as well as launching several new tech ventures and startups. He is excited to support K-State student-athletes, “Giving our teams the tools to succeed on the field and in life is what we are all about – we are honored to join the K-State Family in this monumental initiative.” In addition to supporting K-State Athletics, Morris served as the lead benefactor for the upcoming Morris Family Multicultural Student Center, set to open in Fall of 2020.
Ward and Brenda Morgan
Manhattan, KS
Ward and Brenda Morgan are strong leaders, visionary entrepreneurs and passionate K-Staters in the Manhattan community. Ward grew up in Oberlin, Kansas and Brenda was born and raised in Manhattan. Brenda attended Kansas State in late 1980s and Ward completed his bachelor’s degree at K-State in business in 1993. Their daughter, Brittany graduated with an Animal Science degree from K-State. They have a son, Matthew who currently resides in Tokyo, Japan with his sister Brittany studying the Japanese language and culture. The Morgans are owners of CivicPlus which is headquartered in downtown Manhattan. Ward and Brenda also own Tallgrass Taphouse, 324 Speakeasy, and were instrumental in starting the Green Apple Bikes program. Their most recent endeavor was founding the Midwest Dream Car Collection, an automotive museum that recently opened on the west side of Manhattan. In their free time they enjoy traveling and attending home and away K-State sporting events. The Morgans have enjoyed and benefited from the success of K-State sports. “We are excited to make this gift to provide quality athletic facilities, which will benefit the great student-athletes and coaches at K-State.”
