My connection to the University of Iowa began when I was 8 years old.  I grew up in Iowa City, attending elementary school across the street from what is now the UI Tippie College of Business, where I would later get my M.B.A.. I earned my undergraduate degree in speech communications from the UI, and my first management position was at the UI Alumni Association, where I served as associate director.

When I left Iowa City 35 years ago to begin a career in media and entertainment, I was armed with the rich history and tradition of this university and the community that surrounds it. As my career and my life took me to Chicago, then New York and Toronto, I often found myself reflecting on the value of my Iowa education. I believe it was a significant contributor to my business success, both in terms of the substance of my education and the less tangible lessons I learned about independent thinking, open-mindedness, and fair play.

I got a sense of perspective at the UI — a broader and more balanced view than I often found in colleagues whose earlier lives were spent elsewhere. And I believe that education, those lessons and that perspective, encouraged me to make more thoughtful decisions, take a longer-term, more strategic look at issues, and be a more effective manager and leader. 

I come back to the UI often now, in my role as a board member of both the UI Foundation and the Tippie Advisory Board. And I find that I always leave refreshed and reinvigorated, finding those same values at work today among enthusiastic students, insightful faculty, and leading-edge administration and staff.

My own philanthropy comes from a strong desire to make sure we don’t lose that magic, that secret sauce that enabled me to learn simple truths at the University of Iowa that I could use to navigate a complex world. I feel fortunate to be able to support unique programs at the Tippie College of Business that fuel my own passions. I support one that develops strong people-management skills among our M.B.A. students, and another that provides leadership development opportunities for women. 

Private support — our individual and collective philanthropy — ensures that tomorrow’s UI graduates will have the opportunity to experience that same magic, building a strong foundation for lifelong success as well as a deep and lasting connection to the University of Iowa.

Kathleen Dore (1972 B.A., 1984 M.B.A.)