UNC Greensboro alumna Sue W. Cole ’72, ’77 MBA, of Greensboro, has been named the 2025 Outstanding Philanthropist – Greensboro by the Triad Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Nominated for the award by UNCG and the Greensboro Science Center, Cole received this honor during AFP’s annual National Philanthropy Day celebration on November 24. The annual event recognizes individuals, businesses, and organizations from across the region for their philanthropic contributions that “Change the Triad with a Giving Heart.”
Cole, managing partner at Sage Leadership & Strategy, is an unwavering supporter of UNCG and is recognized as a pillar of public service, serving on numerous boards and committees in the Triad and North Carolina. She is a member and former board chair of the National Association of Corporate Directors, a past chair of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, director and past board chair of the Greensboro Science Center, and former chair of the board of directors of United Way of Greensboro. She was also the first woman to chair the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce.
She is a former trustee of UNCG, where she was on the University’s Investment Fund Committee, and served in a variety of volunteer roles at the Bryan School of Business and Economics. Currently, she champions the University’s mission on UNCG’s Light the Way Campaign Cabinet, where she has been instrumental to the campaign’s success. The $200+ million effort to strengthen the University’s mission of access, excellence, and impact will conclude in December.
Her impact on UNCG is remarkable. In 2023, Cole endowed a faculty excellence support fund as part of the Light the Way campaign. The fund is the first of its kind at UNCG. The Sue W. Cole Professional Track Distinguished Faculty Endowed Fund supports at least two professional track faculty members, each for a two-year term, annually at the Bryan School.
Her reason for giving? The quality of her professors when she was a student.
“In each of my courses, the faculty was outstanding,” she said. “What I learned as an economics and business administration major at the Bryan School – and later during my MBA program there – elevated me professionally and personally. In turn, I want to elevate high-achieving professional track faculty members at the Bryan School as they teach future generations of students, making an impact on our Triad region and beyond.”
The University cherishes Cole’s impact. UNCG Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. says, “Sue Cole exemplifies leadership through her wisdom, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to causes she deeply values. Sue is an outstanding role model for UNCG students and young people community-wide. We are proud to claim her as an alumna and former trustee.”
University Advancement Vice Chancellor Beth Fischer, herself a recipient of the Triad AFP 2022 Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award, adds, “Sue’s passion is contagious and strengthens relationships that advance UNCG’s mission and inspire philanthropic support. We can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor, and we were proud to support her nomination.”