Member Profile
Retirees become part of Carolina community
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| Mike and June Clendenin |
Neither Mike nor June Clendenin attended UNC-Chapel Hill. Neither one grew up in North Carolina. They had zero connection to Carolina before moving to Chapel Hill in 1995. But since arriving, they have been enthusiastic members of the Carolina community — partaking of many campus activities, and supporting UNC at the Chancellors’ Club level.
“We’ve been very pleased with the cultural opportunities that the university has provided for us,” June said. “It’s just really a pleasure for us to have that so close to home.”
For the Clendenins, giving is all about community.
After careers in both New York City and Washington, D.C., the Clendenins chose Chapel Hill as their retirement destination.
They liked the idea of a university town, they wanted to be near a world-class medical center, and they wanted to play golf. Up until the long, hot summer of 2007, Mike joked, they liked the weather, too.
June taught fifth grade, as well as middle-school language arts, and Mike retired from his second career. After working in the newspaper business for 25 years, he then switched to working in advertising and marketing for a large corporation.
In that job, Mike oversaw a multi-million-dollar “community affairs” budget. This was the way his corporation donated to the local community. Although the vast majority of these funds went to the local United Way, Mike said, a portion was always reserved for newer, or smaller organizations that were perhaps meeting a need not met by more established charities. During this time, he said, he saw instances where a gift of $500 would have more impact than a gift of $500,000. Some of the smaller groups this money benefited included theater groups, health and welfare groups and AIDS care.
As a result, even when he retired, Mike had a “pent-up enthusiasm for philanthropy,” he said, and wanted to get involved. The university has provided a number of opportunities. The Clendenins attend lectures, jazz concerts, and performances at PlayMakers and Memorial Hall. June volunteers at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. They support many of these same activities.
“We enjoy the community, we enjoy the University, and you have to become a part of where you live,” Mike said. “Just because you’re retired…you can’t play golf every day.”
“We’re just very pleased, and very happy to help support to whatever degree we can,” June added. “We feel very much at home. The University has really made the move homey for us.”
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