Swindle Family Endowments Honor UF’s Jimmy Cheek and Larry Arrington

By:
Tom Nordlie (352) 392-0400 ext. 276

Source(s):
Ken DeVries kdevries@ufl.edu, (352) 392-1975
Jimmy Cheek jgcheek@ufl.edu, (352) 392-1971
Larry Arrington LRArrington@ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-1761

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two student programs at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will soon have more financial support, thanks to two $70,000 gifts pledged by a Plant City family to establish two new endowments.

Larry and Debbie Swindle and their family made the pledges to honor two friends who are now top UF administrators. State matching funds are expected to add another $35,000 to each endowment.

The Jimmy G. Cheek Ambassadors Enrichment Endowment, named for UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, will support the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Ambassadors, a group of outstanding students who make public appearances to educate audiences about agriculture and careers in agribusiness.

The Larry R. Arrington Extension Internship, named for UF’s dean for extension and director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, will support a summer program that enables undergraduate and graduate students to work in county extension offices, developing and teaching classes for local residents.

Both endowments are new sources of funding for these two programs, said Ken DeVries, UF/IFAS assistant vice president for development. Endowments are permanent, named funds that provide annual support for academic programs in perpetuity.

“This is very exciting because the endowments will enhance the quality of both student programs and provide stable support for the future,” DeVries said. “Internships and extracurricular activities add a new dimension to students’ education, and we encourage other donors to consider endowment support of this type.”

The endowments were announced at the college’s annual “TailGATOR” barbecue before the UF Homecoming football game, he said. Though the Swindles had previously discussed their arrangements with Arrington, the announcement concerning the endowment in Cheek’s name was kept secret from Cheek to surprise him.

“Not only was I surprised, I was stunned,” Cheek said. “It’s a wonderful honor to be recognized by the Swindle family. Their friendship means a great deal to me personally, and these endowments will mean a great deal to our student ambassadors and interns.”

The family chose to support student programs because they want to inspire future generations of agribusiness leaders, Debbie Swindle said.

“The programs we’re supporting also educate the public and we feel good about that,” she said. “Agriculture touches everybody’s lives, and people need to know it.”

The Swindle family includes Larry and Debbie Swindle, son Jonathan Swindle and his wife Lori, daughter Stephanie Conrad and her husband Jason Conrad, and granddaughters Anna Beth Conrad and Madilyn Claire Conrad.

The family owns Rocking S Farms, a beef cattle operation in Plant City, Debbie Swindle said. They also own timberland in North Florida and are involved in a Tampa-based commercial insulation business.

The Swindles have a long history of supporting agricultural education at the elementary school, middle school, high school and college levels, Arrington said.

“They believe in Florida agriculture and are always eager to share their success with others,” he said. “I’m humbled that the Swindles think enough of me to make me a part of their efforts.”

Arrington’s friendship with Larry Swindle dates back to boyhood, when both attended Cork Elementary School in Plant City, Swindle said. The two remained close after high school, when Arrington left his hometown to pursue a career in academia.

The Swindle family became acquainted with Cheek in the 1990s, as a result of their support of agriculture programs at UF, Swindle said.

“Larry and Jimmy are both very likeable, personable people who give a great deal of themselves to promote agriculture,” he said. “Our family wanted to show some appreciation for the work they do, that’s what inspired us to pledge these endowments.”

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Posted: February 10, 2006


Category: UF/IFAS



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