Time flies when you are having fun.  That is the catchphrase we have all heard before, and it certainly applies when I look back on our years at Duke.  It has been 35 years since we roamed the gothic halls, spent countless hours with friends in the Quad, and made Duke our home away from home.

This coming weekend, on April 17-19, 2015, I look forward to reconnecting with our former classmates to relive those same college experiences that we love and cherish during our Class of 1980 reunion.  It’s going to be an incredible weekend to celebrate our university.

Coming back to Duke is an incredible reminder of how Duke continues to be a place of importance for alumni and the greater population.  It is incredible to reflect on our connection to this institution, whose strong educational system is critical to growth and prosperity for people around the world, both now and in the long term.

In celebration of this milestone reunion year, my wife Lynne and I chose to include Duke in our estate plans through an unrestricted bequest designated to Duke as a way to create a lasting legacy to support a place that has been important in our lives.

We are deeply committed to programs such as Bass Connections, DukeEngage, and the Duke Energy Initiative.  We value how these programs shape the way that knowledge is learned and applied. Duke’s leadership in educating future leaders plays a prominent role in many areas that are extremely important for the needs of our kids and their children.

What are the areas that you are most passionate about?  Make a planned gift to the people, places, or programs that mean the most to you.  Your planned gift will support our Class of 1980 gift goal of $3M.

Come back and give back.  Join us to support the future generations of students and leaders at Duke.

We look forward to seeing you and to celebrate the legacy we are creating at our reunion.

Join me in supporting our class reunion reach its goal. Make a planned gift to the class total by contacting Duke University Office of Gift Planning.

About the author

Mark Florian

mf@duke.edu

Mark B. Florian ’80, P’09, P’15 received a B.A. from Duke University in 1980 and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1982. In 2008, he became managing director at First Reserve, a global energy-focused private equity and infrastructure investment firm. He currently oversees investment origination, structuring, execution, monitoring, and exit strategy, focusing on the energy infrastructure sector. Prior to joining First Reserve, Florian was a managing director and COO of Goldman Sachs’ public sector and infrastructure, managing its infrastructure investment banking business, and was on the investment committee for Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Partners. Florian also spent time in the public finance, corporate finance, and mergers groups at Goldman Sachs.