The Keydet Club Board of Governors met in Lexington Sept. 6–7, 2024. On Friday evening, the Keydet Club hosted its inaugural Keydet Club Kickoff Party, an exclusive stewardship opportunity based on the new giving ladder. What a great reminder of the spirit and passion our supporters have for VMI athletics!
At our meeting Saturday, our first meeting in the new fiscal year, it was great to witness the collaboration and engagement from our members and hear about the ongoing success that is taking place.
A few takeaways for me:
- The Keydet Club is excited by the recent hiring of Jamaal Waton ’07 as VMI’s new director of intercollegiate athletics.
- The continued success of our fundraising efforts, which resulted in a 5th consecutive year of $7 million or more, while increasing our donor count year after year.
- The fiscal responsibility of our staff who manage and execute a lean budget, which allows us to make a greater impact on VMI athletics.
- Our Nominating Committee worked extremely hard and executed a well-thought process for our Three-Legged Stool Award, which will be announced at the annual scholarship banquet Nov. 3.
As we look ahead to the new fiscal year, we have some great opportunities ahead of us. The Keydet Club will be taking a more comprehensive approach to its efforts, focusing on the whole of VMI athletics: Scholarships, operations, and capital projects. It will be important to educate about the priorities of VMI athletics and share a strong vision.
I want to thank our Keydet Club supporters and hope others will join us in our pursuit of excellence.
Rah Virginia Mil!
Danny Thornton ’78
Keydet Club President
