Why I Give: Emory Redd '05
Emory with wife Rainey Donahue Redd at their wedding (left). Emory with his wife and new daughter, Rhodora Jeanne Redd (right).
Emory Redd 05: A W&J education was a significant part of my formative years; giving back is the right thing to do.
Whether in investing or philanthropy, Emory values consistency; he has given to W&J every year since graduation in 2005. After W&J, he joined Federated Investors in 2006, a place where several W&J alumni have found themselves. During his time as an Analyst at Federated, he worked with Portfolio Managers and Traders to help manage mutual funds. In 2008, Emory decided to take his education to the next level and enrolled in Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He quickly learned that the W&J education prepared him to compete at CMU’s highly competitive program.
After receiving his MBA with focuses in Finance and Economics, Emory established a Registered Investment Advisory in Pittsburgh. Schenley Park Advisors specializes in hedge fund strategies for high net worth individuals and family offices. Realizing there are many ways to support W&J, Emory hired two W&J undergrads as interns for the summer of 2011.
Emory has also made major accomplishments in his personal life. In May 2010, Emory married Rainey (Donahue) Redd at St. Bernard Church in Mount Lebanon. The couple welcomed their first child, Rhodora Jeanne Redd on March 30th 2011. As a family, they enjoy spending time in Naples, FL and at their home in Aspinwall, Pa. In his free time, Emory enjoys golf and poker.
Emory has continued to stay connected to W&J not only by attending alumni events and hiring interns but also through his giving. Emory tells this story often:
“My first gift to W&J was $5 my senior year and it went towards our Senior Gift. The next year I was called via the W&J Phonathon and was asked to make a $10 gift. I did. I put the gift on my debit card and did not give it much thought. Later that spring a fellow W&J alumni’s mother came up to me while I was at work. She said she was so happy to hear that I was giving back to W&J and that it was a really important tradition to keep going. She said that she was proud to know that my education meant enough to me that I would give back. The whole time she was talking to me I thought to myself, ‘I just gave $10,’ but that is when I realized it was important to give no matter how small I think the gift might be.”
Emory has continued to give to W&J and increase his gift size each year. Emory understands that even his first small gift helped his Alma Matter. As he puts it, “My W&J education was a significant part of my formative years; giving back is the right thing to do.”