John and Nancy Colina Honored For Their Philanthropic Work in Metro Detroit
A commitment to helping others who are less fortunate has brought some well-earned recognition to former Alma College trustee John Colina and his wife, Nancy.
The Colinas, the parents of two Alma College alumni, founded the Colina Foundation in 1992 to help at-risk children in southern Wayne County. The nonprofit foundation gives between $100,000 and $140,000 each year.
In recognition of its contributions to philanthropy and volunteerism, the Southgate-based foundation received the Outstanding Foundation Award from the Greater Detroit Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals at the 16th annual National Philanthropy Day Gala Nov. 15 at the Dearborn Inn.
John credits the couple’s Christian faith and the Biblical admonition “to those who have been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” for their commitment to giving.
“As a Christian, you have a responsibility through stewardship to give back to others,” he says. “We get a lot of satisfaction of seeing lives turned around.”
The Colinas also have supported Alma College in multiple ways.
The Colina Library Wing, an 8,000-square-foot library addition to the Kehrl Building, was made possible by a $1 million gift from the Colinas. The wing, which opened in 1996 and remodeled in 2006, houses student study areas, the Writing Center, Highland Java Cafe, the M.J.J. Smith Room, the Olofsson Computer Classroom, the Stephen R. Christner Memorial Study Room and the John R. Smith Study Room.
John and Nancy also have supported the construction of Wright Hall and student scholarships. They remain committed to the Alma College mission.
“For a successful state and country, we need leaders who understand ethics,” says John. “Alma is well on its way of leading the process of creating ethical leaders. We need that as a society.
“The opportunities young people have at Alma are unique. As alumni and parents need to support the College, the students also need to understand the opportunities available to them,” he says.
John and Nancy first became acquainted with Alma when their daughters, JoMarie Colina George '89 and Lori Colina Lee '90, began attending as students. John and Nancy joined and served on the Parent Board for four years. John was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1989.
“Nancy and I both went to Michigan State University,” says John. “So when our oldest daughter started at Alma in 1985, I remember asking as a parent which cafeteria would she be eating at, not realizing there is only one cafeteria. So we had to adjust to the size of the campus.
“The second thing we noticed was seeing full professors teaching the freshmen courses instead of graduate students, which was outstanding to us,” he says.
John stepped off the Board of Trustees in 2007 after 18 years on the board. He was involved in the development of the Evergreen Plan, a 1990s master college planning document, along with improvements in the physical structure of campus and monitoring student enrollment trends.
CAMPAIGN UPDATE — The Colinas’ gifts to Alma College support the $35.25 million Open Windows Campaign, which focuses on strengthening student opportunities that build on and enhance classroom learning. John Colina serves voluntarily on the Campaign Cabinet, which works closely with President Saundra Tracy and Vice President for Advancement Carol Hyble to provide leadership for the major fund-raising effort.
The Campaign continues to progress, with total funds received as of Dec. 10 at $28,521,187, which represents 80.9 percent of the goal. More than 8,200 donors, from a database of approximately 14,500, have contributed to the Campaign over the past four years and five months.
