CommerceUVA Fall 2007 (Investors' Report) - McIntire School of ...

Swinging Fore a Cure
ASK KeVIN MCNeRNeY (MCINTIRe ’80) about what was most
infl uential in shaping his values, and he’ll give you these answers: his family,
his faith, and the University of Virginia and the McIntire School of
Commerce.
“I come from a big Irish family,” McNerney says. “I’m one of eight
children, and over the years I’ve come to appreciate how hard my parents
worked to provide for all of us.” One of the things they provided, he says,
was access to a top-notch education at U.Va. and at McIntire. “I give the
Comm School a ton of credit for preparing me for success in the work
force,” says McNerney, who serves as Managing Director, Technology and
Professional Services for Korn/Ferry International, a leading executive recruitment
fi rm. he is also a member of the McIntire School Advisory
Board.
McNerney says that perhaps the greatest benefi t of his time at U.Va.
was his exposure to the Jeff ersonian ideals that infuse every part of the
School. “Th ose ideals make you more mindful of others, and more aware of
your responsibility to the larger community,” he says. “Over the years, the
lessons I learned at U.Va. have become an increasingly important part of
my life. I feel it’s important to make a diff erence.”
McNerney did exactly that when his wife, Ann (education ’80), was
diagnosed with breast cancer.
“As soon as we got the diagnosis, Ann and I began to seek information
anywhere we could,” he explains. “We learned that a number of neighbors
and friends were being aff ected by the same disease. A group of us
decided to try to do something to build hope and to make a diff erence.”
Th e result? McNerney and his friends organized Swing Fore the Cure,
an annual event including a live and silent auction for non-golfers and a
golf tournament that raises money for breast cancer research (http://www.
swingforethecure.org). “In truth,” McNerney says, “it was a guys’ way to
respond to a situation that had us befuddled.”
By any defi nition, that “guys’ response” has led to championshipcaliber
success. Over the past nine years, Swing Fore the Cure has raised
not only public awareness of breast cancer, but also more than $1 million.
“We’ve donated to a number of research programs,” says McNerney.
“We’re now providing money for research into new cancer-fi ghting drugs
at the University of Virginia. We also have the goal of providing connection
and a sense of hope for others who are dealing with cancer. My friends
will tell you I’m an optimist and an idealist. We won’t stop working until
we reach our goal of fi nding a cure.”
Kevin McNerney
mcnerney says that the Jeff ersonian
ideals he was exposed to at u.va.
made him more mindful of others
and more aware of his responsibility
to the larger community.
Fall 2007 • 9