The Sweeneys - Giving Back
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Steve and Cathy Sweeney are McCombs alumni who "...believe in giving back to the community and the world for the great fortunes we have been given."
The Sweeney's commitment shows up in a variety of ways—in gifts of time, energy, creativity, and money. Steve is an active member of the MIS Steering Committee, serves on the McCombs School Alumni Relations Task Force, and has served as the UT recruiting coordinator for two consulting organizations.
Early in his career, Steve saw the need for an investment vehicle to ensure donations from MIS alums could be directed into the MIS program and applied in a manner that would best serve the program. In 1996, he established the Byars/Jordan Endowment for MIS Excellence to become that vehicle. This endowment honors two visionaries of the MIS program, whose teaching has positively influenced the lives of their students: Rick Byars and Eleanor Jordan. The endowment was fully funded at the $25,000 level in 2000-01, and has since been increased by another $50,000 as MIS alums work to meet the Red McCombs $100,000 excellence endowment challenge.
Steve enjoys interacting with current and future alumni, and recently pulled an "all-nighter" (with fellow MIS alums Jody Justus and Trent Patterson) to cook brisket, pork, and sausage for over 50 MIS students, alums and faculty members at the fall 2001 MISA Alumni Weekend BBQ (organized by Kara Foster). As an MIS Alumni Champion for the Dallas area, he coordinated the first-ever MIS Alumni Relations event outside of Austin by organizing an event highlighted by Rick Byars' first visit to Dallas in 20 years.
Steve and Cathy are members of the Chancellor's Council of the University of Texas System, Longhorn Alumni Band, Texas Exes (Life Members), and the Longhorn Foundation. The Sweeneys are also involved with the March of Dimes, where Cathy was Dallas' WalkAmerica Top Walker in 2001, raising over $28,000 to help advance research for low birth weight babies. Steve and Cathy are personally connected to this cause since their daughter, Shannon, was born two months premature—weighing just three and a half pounds.
Steve and Cathy met at UT, where both were active members of the Longhorn Band. Steve started his career at Coopers & Lybrand (C&L) in Dallas after graduating in 1990 with a BBA in MIS and Finance. Cathy (Liles) graduated with her BBA in Accounting in 1987, and was already working at C&L as an auditor. Steve's eleven-year career as an MIS consultant took him from C&L to Headstrong (formerly james martin + co). Cathy left public accounting in 1992 to join the Staubach Company as their comptroller, and was later promoted to CFO, where she helped the company manage a long period of exciting growth.
In the past year, Steve and Cathy have both made significant career changes. Steve's involvement with the Byars/Jordan Fund and the MIS Steering Committee led him to join AP Strategies, a non-profit that works to increase student preparedness for college. Cathy left Staubach to spend more time with daughter Shannon (age 7) and son Jack (age 1). She says this choice was, "...a no-brainer." Cathy recently co-founded Eligius Holding Company, an investment boutique specializing in mezzanine capital for growth companies and select real estate transactions.
The Sweeneys realize that they owe the successes in their lives to the family, teachers, and friends involved in shaping their values, direction, and attitudes. They believe in giving back to express gratitude to those who have helped all along the way. They also understand that the values of their degrees are related to the success of the McCombs School. It is alumni like Steve and Cathy Sweeney who make the McCombs School of Business and the University of Texas truly great learning institutions.
