Meet the major donors to the university’s largest fundraising campaign in history

Margie and Bill Klesse

Bill Klesse, a former chairman and CEO of the petroleum refining company Valero, helped launch UTSA's chemical engineering program and continues to open doors for students through board leadership and mentorship. His wife, Margie, is a longtime civic volunteer.

Together, they founded the Klesse Foundation to support scientific, educational, cultural, religious and other charitable organizations.

The couple helped establish the Diamond Shamrock Legacy Endowed Scholarship within the UTSA College of Engineering and Integrated Design and, in 2017, the foundation donated $1 million to establish the Klesse Unit Operations Laboratory at UTSA, creating a new chemical engineering program.

In 2022, the Klesses made a landmark $20 million gift that named the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.

Nancy Kudla '87 and Frank Kudla '85

Nancy Kudla '87 served as the Be Bold Campaign Leadership Council co-chair. Kudla graduated from the first class to include women at the Air Force Academy in 1980 and went on to receive her MBA from UTSA in 1987.

Today, she works with start-up companies and runs the Kudla Family Foundation with her husband, Frank Kudla '85.

In 2011, they created the Nancy and Frank Kudla Endowed Fellowship in Cybersecurity through their Family Foundation. In 2022, they committed another $700,000 to their Fellowship and doubled the value of their endowment through the Alvarez Research Challenge, established by Carlos Alvarez, to match funds and increase their endowment by more than $1 million.

Harvey E. Najim

Philanthropist and entrepreneur Harvey Najim has contributed more than $15 million to UTSA, transforming access to experiential learning, career preparation and essential resources.

His support established the Najim Center for Innovation and Career Advancement at the Main Campus and Downtown campuses, expanded programming in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, and is helping to combat food insecurity through significant support of the Roadrunner Pantry. Najim also is a dedicated supporter of UTSA Athletics.