Major Gift Donor Spotlight: Alan and Mary Ellen Hunt

Alfred State Major Gift donors Alan and Mary Ellen Hunt decided to establish an endowment fund at the college as a big way to give back, not only to the school but to its students, as well.

Both Alan and Mary Ellen are Alfred State alumni, Alan having graduated in 1979 with a degree in computer information systems, and Mary Ellen having earned her executive secretarial studies degree in 1980. The pair would meet years later at a wedding for a mutual Alfred State Pioneer and marry in 1987.

The couple’s endowment fund helps building trades, automotive trades, and heavy equipment students at the Wellsville campus further their education.

“Our goal is to have a substantial fund that will help support the needs of the students for future generations. Both our son, Sean, and our nephew, Matt, have graduated from programs on the Wellsville campus and have very promising careers in the construction industry,” said Alan, whose brother, Jeff, is also an Alfred State grad.

Supporting Alfred State and being life changers for its students is important to Alan and Mary Ellen, which is why they decided to give to the college’s Major Gifts Campaign. This initiative launched in September to raise $8 million for athletics, new programs, scholarships, technology, and the greatest needs of the college. The campaign is fast approaching $3.3 million in pledges and donations thanks to the generosity of donors like Alan and Mary Ellen Hunt.

After graduating from Alfred State, Alan launched a career in construction, starting as a laborer on a jackhammer crew, then quickly becoming a carpenter and then a carpenter foreman. After he began working in the commercial construction field, Alan became a superintendent by the age of 27.

In 1991, Alan began working at Armada Hoffler, a vertically integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust that has four decades of experience developing, building, acquiring, and managing high-quality office, retail, and multifamily properties located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. He advanced from superintendent, to site manager, to partner and executive vice president of construction.

Throughout his distinguished career at the company, Alan has been involved in some amazing projects, including overseeing the building of Harbor East, an upscale, multiple city block development on the waterfront in Baltimore. He has worked on projects from New Jersey to Georgia, including many high-profile jobs, such as the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC; Brass Valley Resort in the North Georgia mountains; the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore; and the Emory Conference Center and Hotel in Atlanta, GA.

Following her graduation from Alfred State, Mary Ellen worked as the executive assistant to the chancellor of the Virginia Community College System. In 1998, she began working at Armada Hoffler as a project manager assistant. She retired in 2019 but continues to support Alan’s daily schedule.

The couple is thankful for all that Alfred State has brought them over the years, from terrific educations, to rewarding careers, to a connection with a mutual Pioneer that resulted in a long, loving marriage. It’s why they continue to have a strong connection to Alfred State and why they decided to become Major Gift donors.

For more information on Alfred State’s Major Gifts Campaign, contact Major Gifts Officer Jay Wilder at 607-587-4010 or at wilderjj@alfredstate.edu, or reach out to Director of Development Jason Sciotti at 607-587-3936 or at sciottjm@alfredstate.edu.