Wesley R. Elingburg and Mark T. Mahaffey, Elon parents and longtime trustees, received honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees during Spring Convocation on March 31, 2016, in recognition of their commitment to philanthropy and service to the university.
“I am honored to have worked closely with both Wes Elingburg and Mark Mahaffey, honored to thank them for their passionate and committed service to Elon University,” Lambert said before reading the degree citations.
Elingburg was elected to Elon’s Board of Trustees in 2005 and served as chair from 2012 to 2014.
“When people ask me what makes Elon so special, my response is always, ‘it’s the people in the community,’” Elingburg said in remarks following the degree presentation. “The people here at Elon are good, good people. They always have as their priority what is best for students.”
Elingburg also paid a special tribute to his wife, Cathy Elingburg. “I share this honor with you,” he said. “Neither of us went to school here, but we certainly have adopted Elon as our school.” The Elingburgs are parents of Nolan Elingburg, who received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Elon.
Mahaffey was elected to Elon’s Board of Trustees in 2001 and chaired the board from 2010 until 2012.
“I am very grateful and most honored to receive an honorary degree and especially from Elon,” said Mahaffey, who described his first visit to Elon in 1992 when his son, Tom Mahaffey ’97, was considering applying. Mahaffey described how he got to know President Lambert, developed a strong friendship, and became deeply involved with the university. “Elon is a family. It is so unusual. It welcomes you with a warm heart the moment you join the fold. … I will always be very proud to be associated with Elon, an inspiring national institution with a proud past and an even greater future.”
Wesley R. Elingburg
Elingburg, retired chief financial officer of LabCorp and managing partner of the Greensboro Grasshoppers minor league baseball team in Greensboro, N.C., began his association with Elon University while at LabCorp. He developed the company’s internship program for students in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. He joined the Love School Board of Advisors in 2000.
He has served in many leadership roles on the board, including as chair of the audit committee, chair of the investment committee and as a member of the business and finance committee. While he was board chair, Elingburg also served as chair of the executive committee, vice chair of the audit committee and chair of the administrative personnel committee. He currently serves as chair of the athletics policy and audit committees and as a member of the business and finance and administrative personnel committees. In collaboration with senior university leaders, Elingburg led the committee that developed the Elon Commitment strategic plan, which will guide the university through 2020.
Elingburg earned a degree in business and accounting at Western Carolina University, and as a certified public accountant, he had a successful career with KPMG and LabCorp, retiring from the latter in 2005.
He and his wife, Cathy Elingburg, are generous Elon benefactors, providing support for Elon Academy, the athletics program, and a variety of construction projects including the School of Communications, Alumni Field House, and Alumni Memorial Gymnasium. Members of the Numen Lumen Society, they also endowed the Wesley R. Elingburg Professorship. In recognition of the Elingburgs’ contribution to Elon’s athletics program, the Southern Conference honored them with a Distinguished Service Award in 2010. The Wes and Cathy Elingburg Room in the Student Professional Development Center is named in their honor. They are the parents of Nolan H. Elingburg, who earned two Elon degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 2011 and a Master of Arts in interactive media in 2012.
In addition to his many contributions to Elon University, Elingburg has served on the Greensboro Day School board and chaired the board of Hospice & Palliative Care Center of Alamance-Caswell.
Mark T. Mahaffey
Mahaffey, chief executive officer of The Mahaffey Company, a developer of rental apartment communities in St. Petersburg, Fla., served as the first chair of the Ever Elon Campaign, the largest fundraising effort in Elon’s history. His leadership was vital to the success of the campaign, which raised $107.3 million in five years to build the university’s endowment and continue to grow the campus. He also played an active role in the development of the Elon Commitment. He currently serves as a member of the development, executive and administrative personnel committees.
Mahaffey earned a business administration degree from the University of Notre Dame and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He and his wife, Marianne Mahaffey, have supported many of Elon’s capital projects, including Belk Library, the Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center, Alumni Field House, and the Numen Lumen Pavilion. The chaplain’s office in the latter is named in their honor. Members of the Numen Lumen Society, the Mahaffeys also generously support Elon athletics, the School of Law and Elon Academy.
The international study experiences of two of their children, M. Thomas Mahaffey ’97 and Kiley Mahaffey Tollberg ’01, prompted the couple to endow the Mark T. and Marianne Mahaffey Scholarship for International Study and Service to provide support for students pursuing service projects abroad.
The Mahaffey Company involves three generations of family members, including Mahaffey’s son, Tom. The entire Mahaffey family has been devoted philanthropic supporters of the St. Petersburg community, including renovation of The Mahaffey Theater for the Performing Arts.