As Dawn Dvoracek, director of leadership gifts and church relations at University of the Ozarks, reflected on her 30-year career at University of the Ozarks, it came down to two words: dream job.
Dvoracek, who has led the University’s church relations since 2005, will retire this summer from the University that she first joined as a temporary employee in October of 1993. Her last day at Ozarks will be June 30, 2023.
“Combining my spiritual beliefs of justice and empowering young people with a Presbyterian faith-based education has been a dream job for many years,” Dvoracek said. “There is a special aura on this campus that The Rev. Dr. Robert Bohl ’58 expressed so eloquently as magical, a place that bestows grace and honor on those who choose to accept.”
A native of Michigan, Dvoracek joined Ozarks as a temp in the Office of Financial Aid shortly after she and her family moved to Clarksville in 1993. She was given a permanent position in the business office in January of 1994.
She said her first impression of Ozarks was to compare it to the university she attended in Michigan.
“I remember wishing that I had known about Ozarks when I graduated from high school in 1976,” she said. “I also remember that I was constantly comparing my experience as a non-traditional student at a public, four-year engineering campus with how the Ozarks faculty and staff interacted with our students. The personal attention and mentoring Ozarks students receive is a stark contrast with the sink-or-swim mentality of my alma mater.”
Dvoracek moved to the Office of Advancement in 2001, first serving as gift records coordinator before transitioning to director of church relations.
“I began learning the names of our alumni and friends, as well as the impact each gift had on holding down expenses and lowering the amount students would ultimately pay,” she said. “My experience from the Business Office carried over into this new role as I gained empathy with how difficult it is stabilize educational costs and yet provide a decent wage for employees. Steve [Edmisten] knew that as a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), I understood the infra-structure and already knew a number of Presbyterians. He asked if I would represent the University at Presbytery meetings. This role eventually evolved into my position as director of leadership gifts and church relations.”
Dvoracek said she is proud to have played a role in the intellectual, spiritual, and social growth of young people.
“I am constantly in awe of how creative and talented that our students are; their sense of self is much more mature than I was at their age,” she said. “They understand what they want from life and are willing to work hard to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.”
Dvoracek has worked with numerous alumni and friends over the past three decades to help them leave their legacy at Ozarks through gifts and scholarship endowments.
“I remember the first endowment I helped write; Retired Lt. Col. Jack Cargile ‘61 was on campus and wanted to establish a named music endowed scholarship for his wife, Marian Riddell Cargile ’57,” Dvoracek said. “She had passed away earlier from cancer and I knew her parents, Katy McNabb ‘40 and Wendell Riddell ’36, as wonderful neighbors and friends. The Cargile endowment was the first of many endowments that I have helped alumni and families set up. Each endowment tells the special story of what was important to the donor and their family. Creating a legacy that stands as a testimony for a life well-lived is a powerful way to give back to Ozarks and ensure that students have educational opportunities to prepare for their future. To have helped facilitate those legacies brings a great deal of pride to me.”
She also played a role in three of the University’s largest capital campaigns that raised more than $173 million during her time at Ozarks.
“It has been an honor to work with some wonderful leadership who truly helped transform the University,’ she said. “It is difficult to express how proud I feel to have played a small role in helping achieve something far greater than what had ever taken place on this campus before. I look at the names on buildings and endowments with the understanding of what was important to the donors and how they understood what Ozarks needed to keep us relevant in higher education. To have known these donors personally brings me a sense of accomplishment.”
Dvoracek said she will miss most the relationships she has made on campus, in Clarksville, and beyond.
“Many of those evolved into personal friendships,” she said. “I will miss traveling to visit with alumni, friends and churches, and sharing the Ozarks story through presentations and reports to Presbyterian congregations, women’s groups and conferences.”
She will also miss the interactions with students.
“Some of the best gatherings and celebrations in my home included a number of the Walton students, alumni, faculty, and family enjoying fellowship and sharing our stories,” she said. “These were wonderful stories told by Clio Thompson Kettelhut ‘34, Alvin Broyles ‘41, Jane Cater and many others. It has been wonderful keeping in contact with our alumni and, now seeing their children attending Ozarks.”
Dvoracek said she plans to spend her retirement travelling, spending time with family and friends, and pursuing new experiences.