The Seahawk

Issue date: 10/21/09 Section: News

A recent $1 million donation to UNCW will help fund future economic research and business development projects within the Cameron School of Business.

Local real estate developer, David Swain, and his wife Diane, donated the money to the Center for Business and Economic Services within the Cameron School of Business. The center, which provides services to the local and regional business community, has since been renamed the H. David and Diane Swain Center for Business and Economic Services in honor of their gift.

"The work [of the Center for Business and Economic Services] being done is very impressive. I wanted to make sure that some of the dollars within our gift would be used in that facility and for that function," Swain said.

The gift not only helps growth at UNCW, but also the surrounding eastern N.C. area. The services and data that are offered through the H. David and Diane Swain Center for Business and Economic Services help guide businesses and companies that are thinking of coming to the region in their choices and development.

"The center is something that not only enhances the overall feeling of what people think of the university, but it is something that is imperative to the region in enticing strong, clean companies to come to our part of the world," Swain said.

According to Larry Clark, the dean of the Cameron School of Business, the donation will primarily go towards supporting faculty research and outreach activities, including economic analysis, business development and professional continuing education.

"At a time of significant state budget cuts, it is incredibly uplifting to our faculty that David and Diane Swain have shown their confidence in us to make their very significant gift to the Cameron School of Business," Dean Clark said. "David Swain is a highly ethical, successful business person. We are very proud to have our center named for David and his strong silent partner, Diane Swain."

Their recent gift to the Cameron School of Business is not the first donation UNCW has received from the Swains. The Swains have held a strong presence at the university for many years and previously donated to a scholarship fund formed for children of New Hanover County employees.

According to Swain, a decrease in state funding to the university, coupled with a sense of responsibility to the community, also prompted him to give to the university.

"The university needs the state funding as much as possible, but if they don't have that it is up to us here within the community to do the best we can to help make up some of the difference," Swain said. "If a private individual can step forward and help subsidize part of the loss of funds, and if other citizens within the community will step up, we can help keep the university running well."

The university expresses its appreciation to the Swains. In a time of budget cuts and economic troubles, gifts such as these help the university in its goal of providing the highest quality of education possible to its students and contribute to the continuation of research essential to the growth of the region.

"UNCW is very grateful to David and Diane Swain for their incredible generosity and dedication," Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo said in a press release interview. "In a time of shrinking state budgets, philanthropic gifts such as theirs empower the university to continue providing students with the most powerful learning experience possible. They are wonderful role models and friends who have made our campus and community much better places to live, work and learn."

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