All our lives we’ll be proud to say, “We hail from GW!”
When Patrick M. Jones rewrote the GW Fight Song in the 1990s, he celebrated the Buff and Blue, but might have had Keith Greene, GWSB BBA ’79, in mind. For 40 years, Greene has given his time to the George Washington University; it only makes sense that he’s also leaving a financial legacy to his alma mater.
“I attribute a lot of the success in my career to my education and experience as a student at GW,” Greene explains. “It’s been a priority for me to give back to the university the best I could over the years.”
The New Jersey native came to GW for the opportunity to study in the nation’s capital. “I had originally planned on being a poli sci major and then becoming a lawyer and thought GW was the perfect place,” says Greene. “However, after one year I knew I wanted to switch to the business school—and the rest is history!”
Oh, by George, we’re happy we can say, “We’re GW, here to show the way!”
Greene loved Washington so much that he never left. After graduation, he lived six blocks from campus, became a season ticket holder for men’s and women’s basketball games, and read the Hatchet whenever he passed through campus. Wanting to do more for his alma mater, Greene began volunteering. He hosted dinners with undergraduates, helped students prepare their résumés and hone their interviewing skills, and even guest-lectured on trends in human resources and ethical issues in the workplace.
But Greene wanted to do even more, so he became a member of the board and executive committee of the GW Alumni Association and, philanthropically, joined the Colonials Club and Luther Rice Society. His love of GW basketball, his undergraduate experience, and professional development support prompted him to leave planned gifts to the Department of Athletics and Recreation, the GW School of Business, and the GW Career Center.
“As I advance through my career and think toward my retirement and how I want my estate to be disseminated,” says the market director for Gartner, “GW is at the top of the list, knowing that I have an ability to make an impact on other individuals in the same way the university had an impact on me.”
Through four decades of engagement, Greene has undoubtedly had an impact on GW and its students. But when he’s not looking back, he’s looking ahead.
“What do I want my legacy to be?” asks Greene. “Part of my legacy is to give back to the university that helped me get here today as a person and a professional.”
You bet he’s loyal to GW!
— Craig Burdick
If you’d like to support the university through an estate plan, charitable gift annuity, or trust, contact GW’s Office of Planned Giving at go.gwu.edu/plannedgiving or 877-498-7590.
