RESOLUTION TO HONOR MR. KARL FOLKENS FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE ON THE WINTHROP UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

WHEREAS, Winthrop University with grateful appreciation, does hereby acknowledge, commend and honor the twenty years of distinguished service of Mr. Karl Folkens as a member of the Winthrop University Board of Trustees; and

WHEREAS, Karl Folkens has shown great leadership, having served the board as an elected representative of both the alumni association and the South Carolina Legislature, as well as being elected the Chair of the Board for five terms, the Vice Chair for six terms, and by overseeing board bylaw revisions, committee restructuring, and presidential search processes; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure, he exercised exemplary leadership and vision in guiding the University toward distinction by overseeing major initiatives and property acquisitions, lent advice and counsel on significant University projects, and worked tirelessly to strengthen the University, and to further its progress toward reaching its institutional goals and to fulfill its educational mission; and

WHEREAS, his tenure as a student was marked by exceptional engagement and scholarship, having been a formative participant and leader in the first Model United Nations program, prominently involved in campus organizations and student politics, and as a member of Winthrop's first class of co-ed students; and

WHEREAS, he has proven to be an exemplary alumnus, having served on the Executive Board of the Winthrop Alumni Association for thirteen years, the first male elected to serve as its President, received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Distinguished Service Awards, and continued this tradition of excellence in his own family by raising two alumnae, and

WHEREAS, as a major philanthropic donor to Winthrop, Karl Folkens has been an exemplary role model by sending a clear message and setting a powerful example for others to follow by his on-going contributions to the Folkens Endowed Scholarships, continued involvement with the Model UN and study abroad programs, and his unrelenting support for Winthrop by often being the first to give whenever a need was identified; and

WHEREAS, his insightful contributions to the Board, expert legal knowledge, and sound judgment have been an invaluable gift during times of major institutional growth and administrative uncertainty and, his strategic vision and reassuring demeanor have been a guiding source of wisdom in the evolution of Winthrop as a University for nearly two decades;

THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Winthrop University Board of Trustees and President Dan Mahony, on behalf of the students, faculty and staff at Winthrop University, and the extended public higher education community, gratefully acknowledge the vigorous advocacy and heartfelt concern that Karl Folkens has demonstrated on behalf of higher education in general and Winthrop in particular, and in commending him for outstanding meritorious service, do wish him every success and happiness in all his future endeavors.

APPROVED, this the 22nd day of June, 2018.