Penn State has recognized longtime supporter and philanthropist Cynthia “Cindy” King, a Malvern resident, as its 2017 Fundraising Volunteer of the Year.

The award recognizes an individual, couple, or group who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership in building philanthropic support for the university.

King is a volunteer on the University Libraries Development Board and a Presidential Counselor. Along with her husband, Jeff King, a 1967 Penn State business alumnus, she has made significant gifts to support the Libraries, Smeal College of Business, College of Education, and other areas across the university.

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“With her consistently positive attitude and her eagerness to get things done, Cindy has been a tremendous asset to the Libraries,” said Dave Lieb, senior associate vice president for development. “She has helped to bring a new level of service to our Libraries board and raised the bar for volunteers across the university.”

After she joined the Libraries board in 2008 as the university began “For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students,” King’s impact was felt almost immediately when she made a lead gift to support the Knowledge Commons, a space for collaborative, digitally-driven learning.

She helped to secure further support for the Libraries through networking events she held in her family’s 18th-century farmhouse in Malvern, letters she wrote to potential volunteers and donors, and other forms of advocacy.

In 2013, the Kings made a major gift that secured matching funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to create the King Family Conservation Endowment, which will continue to support the conservation of the Libraries’ collections in perpetuity.

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