| Sandra & Stephen Rich, '64
 For alumnus Stephen Rich ’64 and wife, Sandra, retiring to Chapel Hill was a long-term dream, an idea that blossomed before Stephen even graduated with his degree in Accounting. “We both fell in love with Chapel Hill and UNC and said we would retire here one day. None of our friends believed it would happen and as the years went by, we began to doubt it. Then, we came up for a football game in 2003 and the feeling returned. When waiting at a traffic light, we saw the perfect home! Had the traffic light not stopped us we might have missed it,” said Sandra. In the 30 years between their Chapel Hill days, Sandra taught elementary school and Stephen worked for The Coca-Cola Company. They both also worked on the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. The couple has one son, a daughter-in-law and two grandsons. Retirement has not slowed down this couple one bit. Sandra serves on the Center’s Advisory Board, as well as several other boards and committees, including the Tickled Pink Cancer Fund and Kidzu Children’s Museum. Stephen chairs the Town of Chapel Hill Historic District Commission and serves on the boards for NC Hillel, Chapel Hill Museum, and North Carolina Botanical Garden. Both Sandra and Stephen serve on the Carolina Center for Public Service community advisory board and serve as chair and co-chair, respectively, for the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill. The couple has supported the Center for many years with annual gifts, and has established an endowment supporting the Jewish
Studies program and the Carolina libraries: the Stephen & Sandra Rich Fund for Jewish Studies.
The Carolina Experience: “We have so many memories, from Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity, to quiet afternoons of listening to the folk music playing in Graham Memorial. From eating at the Rat or the Dairy Bar, to browsing in Kemp’s Record Store. But most notibly, the memories of our first home together, on Shepard Lane.”
Maintaining Ties: “After retiring here, we felt that we could meet
lots of people if we got involved in the community and the university.
We also love the weekday lectures at the Alumni Center, the concerts
on campus and of course the sports and wonderful health care.”
Giving Back: “The University has always put an emphasis on public service and we feel strongly that this is one of the key reasons it is so admired. Alumni across the state and nation give back to UNC in so many unique ways. As a student, Wilson Library was a place one could get happily lost inside, and Stephen spent many hours buried in the stacks. When we talked years later about giving to UNC, the library seemed like a perfect way for us to help the Center, so we set up a fund to support the growing number of programs in Jewish studies.”
Tomorrow’s Carolina: “The state of North Carolina has a Jewish population of well under one percent. It is inspiring to have Carolina teaching so many students, both Jews and non-Jews, about our religion, its history, its culture and many related areas of study. We note that changes are taking place, such as the lighting of a menorah on campus, and enjoy seeing this increased understanding.
return to top
Lori Wittlin, ’95
 Lori B. Wittlin, ’95 no longer lives in North Carolina, but she has found unique opportunities to maintain strong ties to campus. Wittlin, who majored in international studies and minored in Russian at Carolina, went on to Emory University School of Law. She is a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, where she advises corporations on federal income tax matters and represents clients in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service. She married Bradley Lewis, a naval officer, in early 2009 and resides in Arlington, Virginia.
The Carolina Experience: “When I was at Carolina, there was no Center for Jewish Studies and there were very few Jewish Studies courses offered. I took one Religious Studies course – along with everyone else from Hillel – it was the social place to be! So, it’s exciting that today’s students have so many more opportunities. It’s something that I wish I had when I was an undergraduate.”
Maintaining Ties: “I make annual trips to Chapel Hill for football or basketball games, and of course, for shopping on Franklin Street.”
Giving Back: “Also on an annual basis, I make gifts to UNC. Through annual giving, it’s really exciting to help out the Center as it expands course offerings and programs for today’s students.”
Tomorrow’s Carolina: “I was fortunate to be at Carolina and to now be able to help give opportunities to students. In my position, being new in my career, annual giving is the best way for me to make a difference at Carolina. And with the economy in a slump, I know it’s more important than ever to support the campus and the Center.”
return to top
Hal Levinson, ’78
 Making big things happen is the life work of Hal Levinson, ’78. With a focus on mergers and
acquisitions, Levinson heads up the corporate practice group at Moore and Van Allen, Charlotte's largest law firm. Outside of the office, he has helped transform his hometown through volunteer work, including leading a six-year, $36 million campaign to expand and endow Shalom Park, a 54-acre campus in Charlotte that is home base for major Jewish agencies and synagogues. He also serves as vice chair of the
Advisory Board for the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies, helping guide the rapid expansion
of the Center on campus. Levinson, who double majored in economics and political science, graduated with honors and then went on to Michigan Law School. His wife, Holly, ’83 shares the same UNC majors, and the couple has one son, Adam.
The Carolina Experience: “The combination of good friends, terrific professors, exposure to
challenging new ideas and the overall excitement of Carolina created a permanent place in my
heart and mind for UNC. And it didn't hurt that I had front row seats in Carmichael in 1978 to
watch Phil Ford and the Tar Heels beat Duke and Eugene Banks for the regular season title.”
Maintaining Ties: “My involvement with the Center is very important to me, it gives me a personal
and meaningful way to reconnect with, and give back to, UNC. In return, Holly and I have had
the chance to meet the outstanding professors, university staff and fellow board members from
around the country who work with the Center. It also gives us the opportunity to spend much more
time in Chapel Hill.”
Giving Back: “We have made a $50,000 commitment to the Center because of our belief
in the importance of the Center to UNC and North Carolina. And because of our love for UNC.”
Tomorrow’s Carolina: “As a member of the Center’s Board of Advisors, I enjoy helping UNC
maintain its place as a world class university and making it an even better place to be a student.”
return to top
|
