Courtney Clark Pastrick Named Honorary Co-chair for Fearless Ideas Campaign

Courtney Clark Pastrick, board chair of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and a director of Clark Enterprises, will serve as an honorary co-chair for the University of Maryland’s Fearless Ideas: The Campaign for Maryland, the university announced yesterday. The daughter of renowned builder, businessman and alumnus, A. James Clark ‘50, Pastrick and her family have been an integral part of the UMD community for over 70 years.

“It is an honor to be in the position to help UMD reach this incredible fundraising goal,” said Pastrick. “The Clark family has always held a special place in our hearts for Maryland, and I am excited to contribute to this campaign in pursuit of world-changing innovation.”

As honorary co-chair, Pastrick will help guide the university in its most ambitious and comprehensive fundraising effort ever to invest in world-renowned faculty, support capital projects, provide more scholarships, and innovate and expand pioneering programs. As of Saturday, the campaign was more than two-thirds of the way toward its $1.5 billion goal, with over $1 billion raised from more than 94,000 donors.

"We are pleased to welcome Courtney Clark Pastrick as an honorary co-chair of Maryland’s most ambitious and comprehensive fundraising effort yet,” said Jackie Lewis, vice president for University Relations. “Pastrick’s and the Clark family’s unwavering support of the university and her commitment to lead her family’s philanthropic giving makes her a wonderful addition to the leadership team.”

Pastrick joins a dream team of co-chairs in Alma G. Gildenhorn '53, philanthropist; Barry P. Gossett '62, principal, Gossett Group; Brendan Iribe, co-founder, Oculus; (honorary co-chair), William E. “Brit” Kirwan, chancellor emeritus, University System of Maryland; Karen B. Levenson '76, educator; Kevin A. Plank '96, founder, CEO and chairman, Under Armour; (honorary co-chair) Michelle Smith, president, Robert H. Smith Family Foundation; and Craig A. Thompson '92, partner, Venable LLP.

Continuing the Clark family legacy, Pastrick has served as both president and board chair of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, an organization which continues to demonstrate its deep commitment to the University of Maryland. Notable contributions include numerous gifts to the A. James Clark School of Engineering and an investment of $219.5 million for Building Together: An Investment for Maryland to increase college access and affordability, spark innovation that tackles the problems facing the nation and world, and inspire the next generation of leaders.

Pastrick is a proven leader in the D.C.-Maryland region and has served in leadership roles for many local nonprofit organizations.