Texas A&M University Celebrates $4.25 Billion Lead by Example Campaign

Three couples receive elite award for philanthropy.

November 5, 2021

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS—Texas A&M University is celebrating the success of its $4 billion Lead by Example campaign this weekend at the Texas A&M vs. Auburn University football game.

The campaign, which began Jan. 1, 2012, and concluded Dec. 31, 2020, raised $4.25 billion for the university’s students, staff, faculty, facilities and programs through contributions from former students, friends and corporations to Texas A&M’s five fundraising organizations: The Association of Former Students, the Texas A&M Foundation, the 12th Man Foundation, the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, and the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Association.

As part of the weekend celebrations, the Texas A&M Foundation’s Board of Trustees is honoring the campaign’s co-chairs with the prestigious Sterling C. Evans Medal, the highest award given by the Foundation for philanthropy to Texas A&M. Recipients include Debbie ’76 and John Bethancourt ’74, SuSu and Mark Fischer ’72, and Amy ’84 and Tim Leach ’82.

“Our board recognizes these individuals for their exceptional contributions to Texas A&M, the State of Texas and future generations of Aggies,” said Lou Paletta ’78, board chair. “Their record of selfless service, including their leadership during the benchmark Lead by Example campaign, is worth remembering for posterity. This award reflects the shining standard they have set for the Aggie community.”

Awarded annually on a highly selective basis, the Evans Medal recognizes those who have contributed to the growth and success of Texas A&M by bolstering academic and athletic innovation on campus. In addition, recipients have also lent their service and leadership to boards and committees at Texas A&M, helping maintain the university’s place as one of the nation’s best public universities. Since 1998, there have been just 57 recipients of the elite honor.

“The Sterling C. Evans Medal is our way of thanking those who have gone above and beyond for Texas A&M,” said Tyson Voelkel ’96, president and CEO of the Foundation. “Throughout their lives, these recipients have set an extraordinary example not just for supporting the university but also for serving their communities.”

In addition to scholarships and a professorship, Debbie '76 and John Bethancourt '74 have supported the Aggie baseball program and the Memorial Student Center renovation.

Debbie ’76 and John Bethancourt ’74

Debbie and John Bethancourt are lifelong, passionate supporters of Texas A&M, both partially inspired to attend the university by their former student fathers. Their multimillion-dollar giving history spans disciplines, pairing the couple’s passions with student, faculty and college needs. The couple supports multiple petroleum engineering and horticulture scholarships, a professorship, a President’s Endowed Scholarship and athletics.

They also contributed a major gift toward the Memorial Student Center renovation to name the Bethancourt Family Grand Ballroom and another toward the Aggie baseball program. In recognition, the scoreboard at Blue Bell Park is named in their honor.

John, a petroleum engineering graduate of Texas A&M, is a retired Chevron Corp. executive vice president. Debbie, who studied floriculture at Texas A&M, is a member of The Gardens at Texas A&M University project task force.

“We both have very dear friends who have previously received the Evans Medal, some who are among the people I admire most in this world,” John said. “We have tried to follow in their footsteps, so to find ourselves included in this group is the most humbling experience.”

In 2011, John was named a Distinguished Alumnus by The Association of Former Students. A year later, he was named an honorary Maroon Coat by the Texas A&M Foundation.

 

Through major gifts for the Zachry Engineering Education Complex and the renovation of Kyle Field, SuSu and Mark Fischer ’72 have helped breathe new life into Texas A&M's campus.

SuSu and Mark Fischer ’72

Raised together in the small town of Cuero, Texas, SuSu and Mark Fischer have made a big difference together in Aggieland. Mark graduated from Texas A&M with an aerospace engineering degree and worked in the petroleum industry before founding Chapparal Energy, a privately held independent oil and gas company based in Oklahoma City, with his brother Charles in 1988 and retiring in 2017. SuSu graduated from Texas State University with a degree in elementary education and has previously taught elementary and middle school.

The Fischers started giving back to Texas A&M through contributions to The Association of Former Students and the 12th Man Foundation. They made substantial contributions to support the construction of the Zachry Engineering Education Complex and the renovation of Kyle Field. Their namesake Fischer Engineering Design Center offers Aggie engineers ample space and cutting-edge resources to bring their creative ideas to life.

“We want to create positive experiences for all Aggies,” Mark said. “I was very fortunate throughout my career to achieve many of my personal goals, and giving back to Texas A&M is our way of helping others do the same.”

Mark has served on The Association of Former Students’ Board of Directors since 2013 and was named its chair in 2020. As head of Chapparal, he earned Aggie 100 honors four years in a row and an Outstanding Alumni award from the College of Engineering in 2014.

 

The Leach name is synonymous with progress at Texas A&M. Amy ’84 and Tim Leach ’82 have been major contributors to both Aggie athletics and academics.

Amy ’84 and Tim Leach ’82

Driven to create a lasting impact at Texas A&M, Amy and Tim Leach have helped positively transform much of campus. A petroleum engineering graduate, Tim is currently the executive vice president of ConocoPhillips and the former chairman and CEO of oil and gas producer Concho Resources in Midland, Texas. Amy, who studied education at Texas A&M, is involved in numerous social, charitable and faith-based projects in Midland.

The Leaches have directed their gifts broadly across initiatives that improve academics, athletics and campus life and have invested in numerous transformative construction projects. They were the first to contribute a multimillion-dollar gift to support the construction of the Zachry Engineering Education Complex and were ardent supporters of renovations to Kyle Field. Notably, the couple also helped spearhead The Gardens project with a lead gift for its first phase.

“It’s not about the things we’ve built, but about the ideals and relationships we’ve found at Texas A&M,” Tim said. “We’re partners in life and partners in giving, and we always wanted to give back to what we think is important.”

In 2017, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Tim as a member of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. He served as vice chairman of the board from 2019 until 2021, when he was elected chairman. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus by The Association of Former Students in 2020.

Texas A&M Foundation

The Texas A&M Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aspires to be among the most trusted philanthropies in higher education. It builds a brighter future for Texas A&M University, one relationship at a time. To learn more, visit txamfoundation.com.

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