Advisors Excel Founders make significant investment in Washburn University

Future Ichabods at Washburn University will benefit from a lead gift to renovate Henderson Learning Resources Center made by Advisors Excel Co-Founders David Callanan and Cody Foster, Washburn University’s President Dr. JuliAnn Mazachek announced today.

Combined with other generous donations, the gift brings the fundraising total to more than $10 million of the $15 million goal for the project. The planned renovation is the largest fundraising effort for a single building project in Washburn’s history. The project is part of a broader campus improvement plan unveiled earlier this month by President Mazachek.

“Advisors Excel’s gift will help bring our shared vision to life to create exceptional learning environments for our students. Their commitment to the success of Washburn University will have a profound impact on our campus, our community, and our workforce in the region,” said Dr. Mazachek. “We are incredibly grateful for their support.”

“Advisors Excel has been such a force for positive change in our community, and we are beyond grateful they have chosen to make this investment into our students and our community,” added Marshall Meek, President, Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation. “The generosity of our alumni and friends is overwhelming, and it literally transforms the lives of our students and lifts up the entire community.”

The renovation will focus on creating adaptable learning spaces with the ability to accommodate different group sizes for active learning and fully modernize the building’s infrastructure to support the leading-edge computer and media labs. It will also focus on making the building fully accessible to students, faculty and staff with alternative mobility needs.

“Developing career-ready graduates is vital to a strong workforce in Topeka,” said Advisors Excel Co-Founder Cody Foster. “Washburn graduates play an immense role in our success at Advisors Excel. A substantial number of staff and leadership earned Washburn degrees, including our Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, President of Advisor Development, Director of Employee Initiatives, Chief Technology Officer, President of Annuity Marketing and General Counsel. We know firsthand how important Washburn University is to the continued growth of Topeka. Making this investment is important to us because we believe it will help attract the brightest and best students to Washburn.”

“Washburn University is the heart of Topeka, and it’s given us the foundation to be successful," said Co-Founder David Callanan. “We want to ensure that future Ichabods have the building blocks needed to thrive professionally. It is our hope that businesses in the area, including ours, will benefit from this project for years to come.”

Renovating Henderson will directly and significantly impact the academic success of every Ichabod, allowing them to get the most out of their time on campus. A nexus of academic life at Washburn, Henderson is the largest academic building holding 25 percent of available classrooms on campus. Henderson opened its doors in 1971 and prominently featured rooms with stadium seating to accommodate large lectures. It is currently the sole home to the Washburn University School of Business, houses nearly all the College of Arts and Sciences’ social science departments, handles a large portion of the School of Nursing undergraduate classes and is home to the university’s media labs and Honors Program.