August 31, 2012
For Wally Halas, it’s always been about helping others.
This energetic professional has spent nearly four decades
giving back, raising funds for scholarships, coaching collegiate
basketball and using sports as a tool for promoting peace.
And, not surprisingly, those roads ultimately led him to St. John’s
University.
“I love the atmosphere of a college campus,” said Halas, who
currently serves as Associate Vice President in the Division of
Institutional Advancement. “I came to St. John’s in 2005, when the
University happened to have a position open that required
management and fundraising skills. Those are my strengths, and once
I got into St. John’s and really investigated the mission – well,
it’s the most unique mission of any university in America.”
In his current position, Wally provides oversight for the Office of
Major Gifts, implementing strategies to maximize the philanthropic
intentions of alumni and friends. He also serves as Interim
Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations of St.
John’s The School of Law, working closely with deans and
administrators to increase alumni giving and participation.
“That’s been a really great experience,” Halas said. “Law alumni
are truly passionate about St. John’s and the School of Law, and
they also understand that we always have great needs. Their support
helps us put out a great product, so it’s been wonderful to be a
part of that message.”
Prior to joining St. John’s, Halas spent 15 years working at the
Institute for International Sport, an organization that strives to
create a global network of scholar-athletes committed to sports,
the arts and world peace. Serving as Commissioner and Chief
Operating Officer, Halas secured federal and state grants and
created an effective corporate sponsorship program to provide
funding for the institute’s ambitious programs, like the World
Scholar-Athlete Games.
“We brought basically 1,000 kids each year, from all over the
world, into our program,” Halas said. “It had a tremendous impact,
and we also ran programs in countries with conflict. So in the
’90s, for example, we spent a lot of time in Belfast working with
both Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, getting them to talk to
each other. It was great to see the type of impact we were having
there.”
Halas also served as Head Coach for Varsity Basketball at Columbia
University and Clark University, roles that also dealt largely with
fundraising. He was even selected to be part of the inaugural class
of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Today, Halas is particularly glad to be a part of the St. John’s
family, an opportunity that he considers the ultimate form of
giving back.
“What’s so incredible about St. John’s is that none of what we say
is lip service,” Halas noted. “A lot of places say they provide
scholarship assistance to those who need it most, but we really do
it, and that’s what attracted me to the University. Everyone who
works here feels like they are having a major impact, so it’s a
very special place to work.”
As Halas often tells alumni and friends, the reasons for supporting
student scholarships go beyond just the immediate impact of helping
young men and women. It has far-reaching effects that ultimately
improve society.
“The only way we can close the gap with our country’s disparity of
income is by making sure education is available to the kids who
can’t afford it,” Halas said. “It keeps America, and really the
global community, headed in a positive direction, and I can’t think
of a goal nobler than that.”