Widener Announces $10 Million Gift, Unveils the Jack & Nancy Dwyer School of Nursing
On a busy afternoon in October, the center of campus buzzed with excitement as the Widener community gathered to celebrate a significant milestone: a $10 million gift to name the Jack & Nancy Dwyer School of Nursing.
The commitment was made by business school graduate Jack Dwyer ’78 and his wife Nancy and marks the largest gift made in Widener’s 204-year history.
A native of Matawan, New Jersey, Dwyer enrolled in Widener to a pursue an undergraduate degree in accounting. He said Widener’s small class sizes and esteemed business program fit the college experience and career preparation he was after.
“Widener had some great accounting teachers and really gave me a great background to pursue my business career,” said Dwyer. “I’m forever grateful for the whole accounting background and the education that I got at Widener, and that's why I'm giving back.”
After graduating with a business degree, Dwyer built a career in healthcare financing and banking. Today, he is the founder and CEO of CFG Bank, the largest bank headquartered in Baltimore and among the nation’s five largest healthcare lenders for bridge-to-Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, loans. He also founded and serves as CEO of Capital Funding Group, a healthcare and multifamily financing group comprised of 11 companies that provide full-service, comprehensive financing and banking solutions.
As a leader in the healthcare financing specializing in nursing home facilities, Dwyer saw the hurdles facing nurses and employers, such as staffing shortages, professional burnout, and limited career pathways. According to Dwyer, nurses account for approximately 60 to 70 percent of expenses in nursing home facilities, making them critical to business sustainability and growth.
“Nurses really are the backbone of the whole industry,” said Dwyer. “They're the ones that take care of our loved ones at the facilities. If it's not for them, it's a real problem. Nancy and I saw that Widener has done a tremendous job with its nursing school and we wanted to contribute to that effort.”
Partnering with Widener’s nationally recognized nursing program presented an opportunity to address those real-world challenges through educational programming to prepare tomorrow’s nurse leaders.
“This gift will open doors for students who dream of becoming nurses but need a helping hand to get there. And it will ensure that Widener remains at the forefront of nursing education,” said President Stacey Robertson, speaking to the crowd at the ribbon-cutting event.
“But this gift is bigger than our campus, because the end result will improve patient care, as the nurses we send into the world positively shape the healthcare landscape,” Robertson added.
Support from alumni and donors, like the Dwyers, is paramount to student success, said Terry Travis, vice president of advancement.
“We see our alumni driving real-world changes in their industries every day and we want to not only support their efforts, but partner with them in meaningful ways to make a greater impact. Our partnership with Jack and Nancy is a testament to the transformational influence that alumni have on the world and the student experience,” said Travis.
“If you can change somebody's life, that's a big thing. That's what gives me the most gratification,” said Dwyer.
The spirit of giving circulated across the Widener campus throughout the day, in celebration of the Dwyers.
Members of the student-run Widener University Student Nurses’ Association held a blood drive in collaboration with the American Red Cross. The fully booked event brought in more than 50 donors comprised of Widener and Chester community members. In addition to the blood drive, nursing Dean Audrey Snyder moderated a panel discussion featuring Dwyer and nursing faculty, that explored the expanding role of nurse leaders.
A Day to Celebrate the Future of Nursing at Widener
