Chuck Sulerzyski, president and CEO of Peoples Bancorp Inc. and Peoples Bank, presented Marietta College President Bill Ruud with a ceremonial check Tuesday on the front steps of the McDonough Center. Joining them were faculty, retired faculty, staff and students from both business and economics and leadership. (Photo by Michele Newbanks)

MARIETTA — The president and CEO of Peoples Bank announced a pledge Tuesday afternoon of $1 million to help with the merger of Marietta College’s department of business and economics and the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business.

Peoples Bank President Chuck Sulerzyski said this was the biggest gift in Peoples Bank history. The college will receive $200,000 a year over the next five years to fulfill the $1 million pledge.

“We have a long term relationship with Marietta College and we’re very excited about the combination of the leadership program and the business school,” he said. “I think together, they can continue to do the great things the leadership program does for the college and also make the business school stronger.”

MC President Bill Ruud said the money will be used for all programs, faculty support and staff support over the next five years of the merger of the two departments.

“To be driven by a combination of needs that we have … programmatic needs, student needs, faculty needs,” Ruud said.

He said there are community needs, so the college will use the money to make the programs that they have bigger and better.

“So that companies like Chuck’s throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley and beyond will say, ‘when I’m looking for leaders, I’m looking for leadership graduates, I’m looking for business and economic graduates, I’m going to come here,'” he said. “‘And when I’m looking for the wisdom and knowledge of faculty and staff in leadership and in business and economics, I’m going to come here.'”

Sulerzyski said the merger will make it more attractive for students to come to Marietta College.

“I think it will make it more attractive for companies like mine that recruit people from both the leadership program and the business program,” he said.

A statement released after the donation said the funding came just 11 days after MC officially announced its $100 million comprehensive campaign, “This is the Time,” during the 2021 Homecoming festivities. The college is already more than two-thirds of the way toward its fundraising goal with gifts and pledges now totaling nearly $71 million.

Josh Jacobs, vice president for advancement at MC, said there are seven priorities for the “This is the Time” campaign:

¯ Student Center – $20 million for a brand-new Student Center for Our Time.

¯ Marietta Fund – $13 Million. The Marietta Fund, and other annual gifts, which support the overall Marietta experience.

¯ Endowed Scholarships – $35 million for merit-based and institutional need-based aid.

¯ Distinctive Academic Programs – $15 million for faculty and student collaboration, Bernard P. McDonough Center for Leadership and Business, the Center for Health Care and Caring Fields.

¯ Faculty Development – $10 million for professorship endowments, visiting professor endowments, and professional development.

¯ Student Engagement – $3 million to enhance the student-athlete experience and for the Academic Resource Center.

¯ Marietta Pride – $4 million for campus accessibility, beautification, and wayfinding.