Brad Clarke and Marilyn Cottrell are leading the search for more cabinet members for the Brock Family Campaign.

Brad Clarke and Marilyn Cottrell are asking for their co-workers to join them and become cabinet members in this year’s fundraising campaign.

Clarke, director of Student Life and Community Experience, and Cottrell, an Economics professor, are co-chairs of the annual Brock Family Campaign, part of the Campaign for a Bold New Brock.

They need representatives from various offices and departments – ideally about 25 – to answer questions and help spread the word about the Family Campaign.

“We all play an active role in shaping the Brock experience,” Clarke said. “This is one of the opportunities for people to make an impact on the University.”

From Sept. 12 to Oct. 7, faculty and staff will be asked to donate to the campaign. The Family Campaign raises money for undergraduate and graduate student awards, student support initiatives such as Mentorship Plus, and projects such as the Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Research Complex and the downtown Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

All of this ultimately benefits students, said Shannon Gill, Annual Fund manager.

“It means more classroom space and more research space, and gives students the financial aid and personal support needed to make the most of their education,” she said.

That’s why Cottrell got involved. As a Brock employee for 26 years, she has seen numerous students who needed financial help.

“It’s become more apparent in the last five years than it ever has been before,” she said.

Through efforts like the Family Campaign, “everyone does their part to ensure that students get an education where they’re not just numbers, but a person.”

Clarke is a Brock alumnus who also served as president of the Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU) in 1999/2000. Each year, he said, BUSU and the University encourage students to get involved in the Brock community. Being part of the campaign cabinet is a way for faculty, staff and alumni to lead by example, he said.

The goal for the Family Campaign is a 55 per cent participation rate. Last year, the Family Campaign had a participation rate of 46 per cent.

In September, Brock employees will receive packages about the campaign. There will also be email follow-ups and updates on the Bold New Brock website.

Clarke and Cottrell encourage any faculty or staff interested in being cabinet members to contact them at bclarke@brocku.ca or marilyn.cottrell@brocku.ca