OREM, Utah — Scott C. Keller, president and chief executive officer of Keller Investment Properties (KIP), and his wife and business partner, Karen Keller, announced today that they will donate $10 million to complete the funding for the planned Woodbury School of Business Building at Utah Valley University. In acknowledgment of the gift, the new structure will be named the Scott C. Keller Building. UVU’s business school is the largest school by headcount in the state of Utah.
“The Kellers’ generosity is both awe-inspiring and humbling,” said Astrid S. Tuminez, president of Utah Valley University. “Their gift will make our new business building a reality, and will help launch the business careers of thousands of UVU students now and in the future. This collaboration with the Kellers will help UVU fulfill its mandate to cultivate human talent and support future growth and development in Utah and beyond.”
Over the past 35 years, Keller Investment Properties has become one of the largest single private multifamily (apartment) investment companies in the western U.S. The Kellers also have investments in retail centers, student housing, senior housing, assisted living, private equity, ranches, fish hatcheries, storage units, luxury home construction, and a golf course.
“We are honored to contribute some of our resources to assist UVU’s wonderful leadership and their pursuit of excellence in providing an environment and opportunity of higher learning on this beautiful, diverse, growing campus,” said Scott and Karen Keller. “We are privileged, along with our five children (all of whom have either attended or graduated from UVU), to be associated with such a quality institution. We look forward to our growing posterity to also be a part of it for many years to come.”
“The Scott Keller story exemplifies the Wolverine spirit of grit, hard work, and intelligence in rising above circumstances,” said Norm Wright, dean of the Woodbury School of Business. “The new Scott C. Keller Building will serve as a daily reminder to our students that success is more a function of hard work than initial life advantages. I am deeply grateful to Scott and Karen for their generosity and their example.”
The building will occupy 205,000 square feet on the south side of the Orem Campus and will house the Bloomberg Lab, Entrepreneurship Institute, Money Management Resource Center, SmartLab, and a grand auditorium for lectures and special events. Classrooms will be outfitted with lecture-capture technology to help students learn remotely.
UVU will hold a groundbreaking for the Scott C. Keller Business Building on November 11, 2019, at 1 p.m.
