Jim Broadhurst To Head Grand Destiny Campaign
January 23, 2001
University Park, Pa. -- Penn State's Grand Destiny Capital Campaign has a new chair in Jim Broadhurst, a 1965 Penn State Graduate and Chairman and CEO of Pittsburgh-based Eat'n Park Hospitality Group, Inc.

Broadhurst’s predecessor, Edward R. Hintz, stepped down from his campaign leadership post to serve as chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. The Trustees elected Hintz chair at their Jan. 19 meeting.

"This is a very exciting time to lead the campaign, and I am deeply honored," said Broadhurst, who currently heads the Pittsburgh region of the campaign. "My goal will be to build on the achievements that the campaign has seen since it began in 1996, and to continue to reach out to friends and alumni of the University so that they take an active role in shaping Penn State’s future."

The campaign began in 1996 and is scheduled to run until June 30, 2003, and as chair Broadhurst will spearhead its next leg. As of Dec. 31, 2000, gifts and pledges totaled $875 million, which supports students, faculty, academic programs and other University needs.

Broadhurst and his wife, Suzy Broadhurst, a 1966 graduate of Penn State’s College of Education, have a long history of being involved with the University and supporting the Grand Destiny campaign.

Jim Broadhurst is a University Trustee. He is also a member of the campaign steering committee.

Together, the Broadhursts established an endowment in 1998 to create scholarships in their colleges–liberal arts and education–and to support distance education in the College of Health and Human Development. That part of the gift helps Eat’n Park employees participate in a distance education program for the associate degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. The Broadhursts and Eat’n Park made a leadership gift to support the construction of Mateer Building for the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Recreation Management.

"Jim is a proven leader, and I am so gratified that he and Suzy have chosen to put their time and energy into our University," said Penn State President Graham Spanier. "The work that Jim has done over the years as a volunteer in the campaign and the experience he brings from his many years as CEO of a major corporation make him well-poised to carry our campaign to the next level."

In 1973, after spending seven years at Pittsburgh National Bank, Broadhurst began working at Eat’n Park. He was named president in 1975, and chairman and CEO in 1984. Eat’n Park Hospitality Group encompasses three integrated business divisions–CURA Hospitality, a Lehigh Valley-based provider of dining services to senior living facilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland; Eat’n Park Restaurants, a chain of over 75 full-service family restaurants in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia; and Parkhurst Dining Services, which provides contract dining services to corporations, colleges, universities and The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

In 1994, Broadhurst was named Alumni Fellow of the College of Health and Human Development, and in 1997 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award, the University’s highest award for one of its graduates.

The Broadhursts are active in their community. Jim Broadhurst serves on many boards including National City Corp., National City Bank of Pennsylvania, Sheetz Inc., The Pittsburgh Foundation, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, United Way of Allegheny County and the National Restaurant Association. He is chairman of the board of The Pittsburgh Foundation and formerly served as chairman of the board of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and United Way of Allegheny County. Jim and Suzy, served as general co-chairs of the United Way of Allegheny County Campaign.

Suzy Broadhurst is a board member of the University of Pittsburgh and of its Institutional Advancement Committee, and of St. Vincent College, Latrobe. Carlow College honored her as one of the 1997-98 Women of Spirit, an award given to women in the Pittsburgh area who exemplify the college’s ideals of competent and compassionate service in both their personal and professional lives.

Contacts:
Mike Bezilla (814) 863-4512 (work) (814) 238-5842 (home) mxb13@psu.edu
Anne Danahy (814) 863-4512 (work) (814) 466-4834 (home) acd2@psu.edu