Intercollegiate Athletics Award Recipients
Friends of Marquette Athletics Award
THE HON. W. GREG RYBERG, JR., ARTS '68, and
ELIZABETH DENKEWALTER RYBERG, ARTS '69
Aiken, S.C.
The spirit of giving is a core value of Greg and Elizabeth. Greg, a former state senator in South Carolina, has been a member of the Marquette Board of Trustees since 2008, and Elizabeth is a community advocate and fundraiser.
Hoping to inspire their seven grandchildren, they started a new family tradition. At Thanksgiving, they handed each grandchild a check — then challenged each one to find something, or someone, in their community whose lives would be improved by the money.
“They take it very seriously, from the 12-year-olds to the 3-year-old,” Greg says. “Their donations this year were powerful: homeless shelter-specific needs, a family whose children needed all clothing and school items, an animal shelter, their Catholic school for a scholarship. This year, we saw them all making informed decisions and scrutinizing their choices. But, most important, we heard their excited stories about who they picked and why.”
Greg, who retired in 2012 from the state after serving five terms, is a successful businessman and board member with the Aiken Augusta Warrior Project, which helps members of the military with education and employment. He has been a member of the Marquette Board of Trustees since 2008.
“My Marquette experience strengthened my early values taught by my family of right and wrong, morals and ethics, whether it is in my personal life, business, elected office — or on the golf course,” he says.
Elizabeth is a community advocate and fundraiser whose favorite causes include children who are victims of mistreatment, people with disabilities, and the construction of bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly streets.
“Success, to me, is the feeling of expectation and excitement that there is a new idea to explore and new paths to reach a goal,” she says. “I feel success when I can persuade other people to become enthused as we see a project through.”
