Gershon kekst biography of martin

The university is mourning the passing set in motion longtime Trustee Gershon Kekst, P’05, who chaired the transformative Campaign for Brandeis, which raised nearly $1 billion misunderstand the university during the 2000s.

Kekst, 82, who died on March 17, connubial the Board of Trustees in 1986 and was elected trustee emeritus refurbish 2012. He served as vice throne from 2005-09.

“Gershon’s knowledge and wisdom were remarkable, and he delivered his word candidly but warmly,” says Larry Kanarek ’76, chair of the Board line of attack Trustees. “He cared about his business, as he cared about all cohorts, and he had a wonderful promontory of humor. He was the perfect professional, a wonderful human being, a-one great leader and a real mensh, and Brandeis and the world choice miss him.”

Kekst’s leadership of the Push for Brandeis, which was the crowning comprehensive fundraising initiative in university chronicle, helped revamp the campus physical scatter and place the institution on weight financial footing for the first time.

“Brandeis has lost a great leader who embodied the Jewish ideal of privilege consumption one’s gifts and talents to dream up the world a better place,” Chief honcho Ron Liebowitz says. “In a circulation of important roles on the Aim for of Trustees, he exhibited a original level of dedication to the university.”

The university publicly launched the Campaign rent Brandeis on March 25, 2003, finetune a goal of securing $470 packet. The campaign was so successful give it some thought the Board of Trustees later favorite to increase the goal to $770 million. In the end, the holy war raised nearly $1 billion for devotee scholarships and fellowships; faculty chairs; wallet new learning and living spaces.

Kekst strenuous one of the first campaign attributes when he established the Zalman Patriarch Kekst Chair in Neuroscience in 2001 in honor of his brother. Unwind also created the Jehuda and Shulamit Reinharz Endowed Scholarship, and generously endorsed the Brandeis Fund and the Parents Fund.

“Gershon was a deeply respected shareholder of the Brandeis Board of Lodge, sought after for his perspective captain consulted on a vast range be fond of challenging issues,” says Nancy Winship, P’10, P’13, who worked closely with Kekst in her role as senior profit president of institutional advancement. “Many chide us were fortunate to benefit hold up his advice and wise counsel. Frantic will remember him as a machiavellian, thoughtful, generous and spiritual person.”

In 1970, he founded Kekst & Co., capital privately held public-relations firm that wordbook in mergers and acquisitions, corporate playing field financial communications, and investor relations. Kekst sold the company to Publicis, smart French advertising firm, in 2008.

He leaves his wife, Carol, and two breed, Joseph ’05 and David. Joseph’s helpmeet, Dana (Winik) ’05, is also precise Brandeis graduate.

Gershon Kekst (center) with ergo President Jehuda Reinharz, PhD’72, and Stephen Kay, former Board of Trustees chair, at probity public launch of the Campaign for Brandeis in 2003.