Giving Day Debut
“It’s about the power of coming together and the collective impact,” he said, referring to Cornell’s first Giving Day.
“A gift in any amount is important” for Cornell and the ILR School, he said.
Alums and friends play a huge role, said Lovely, in helping sustain excellence at ILR, celebrating its 70th year.
A member of the ILR Alumni Association since 1981, Lovely said, “Even in the early years, I realized the value of ILR networking and career opportunities.”
As a human resources executive, Lovely has overseen up to 85,000 employees in 60 countries and is currently senior vice president of Houghton International Global Human Resources.
He attends ILR gatherings in Philadelphia, where he is inspired by young alums. “There is a lot of passion there” for the school and how it remains a powerful force, even after graduation.
“ILR is number one, not just in the United States, but anywhere. That means a lot,” Lovely said. “We need to make sure ILR has the resources to stay number one in the field.”
Giving Day on March 25 is an opportunity to do just that, he said, and generosity of any size benefits the school.
A Georgetown Law School graduate, Lovely made sure not to pressure his children to consider ILR, but was delighted when they chose to enroll.
Garrison Lovely ’16 and Kristen Lovely ’18 are on their way to becoming ILR alums.
Their dad is thrilled.
“ILR is a bigger part of my life than ever. It’s pretty cool.”