Title:A Lasting Legacy of Athletics and Faith

A scholarship enabled Jeff Moreland (B’66) to attend Georgetown and compete on the Track & Field and Cross Country teams. He cherished the four years of friendship, memories, and connections on the Hilltop, graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration degree in 1966.

Jeff’s career included working for Santa Fe Railway, the BNSF Railway, and until recently, serving as vice chairman of Amtrak’s Board of Directors and chairman of its Audit and Finance Committee. He’s grateful to Georgetown for the scholarship that led to his Catholic education and successful career.

To demonstrate that gratitude, Jeff and his wife, Nancy, recently created the Moreland Family Endowed Athletics Chaplain Fund in the Office of Mission & Ministry by making a blended gift, including an outright gift using IRA qualified charitable distributions and naming Georgetown as a beneficiary of a retirement account. Making their gift this way allows the Morelands to see the impact of their philanthropy during their lifetime while also creating a lasting legacy for the family at Georgetown.

“I’m also a graduate of Catholic University’s Law school and received a University of Chicago MBA, so there are other institutions I can donate to, but Georgetown gave me a scholarship and a place in its community so I wanted to recognize what they’ve done for me,” says Jeff, who has continued to stay connected to his Hoya family.

As the Morelands explored giving opportunities, Father Mark Bosco, S.J., vice president of Mission & Ministry, explained the importance of an endowment for the athletics chaplaincy.

“Endowing this position creates a spiritual safety net embedded in the Athletics Department,” says Bosco. “I was delighted when the Morelands decided to make this gift. It enables our Athletics Department to focus on the spiritual foundations of student wellness and really gives our student-athletes an opportunity to thrive during their time at Georgetown.”

The Moreland Family Endowed Athletics Chaplain Fund covers compensation and benefits for the chaplain position and funds programs to benefit student-athletes, coaches, and staff.

“We’re deeply grateful to Jeff and Nancy for their philanthropic commitment to name the Athletics chaplain position through his gift,” says Lee Reed, Francis X. Rienzo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “The chaplain position was established in 2020 to support our student-athletes and coaches in new and meaningful ways, including prayer and reflection. As the first chaplain for Athletics, Tony Mazurkiewicz continues to have a profound impact on the daily lives of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. In this role, he has interacted with nearly every team, helping to guide their spiritual growth and formation. Tony’s work truly reflects our commitment to cura personalis. We are thankful that the Morelands’ generosity will ensure this vital support continues for years to come.”

When Jeff and Nancy are at their home in the DC area, they attend Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown every Sunday and frequently visit the Hilltop, where their grandson is a student. They continue their tradition of getting brunch at the Tombs, which was founded the year Jeff began his journey at Georgetown.

The Morelands are proud season ticket holders for the Georgetown Men’s Basketball team and attend Track & Field and Cross Country events. Jeff stays in touch with his teammates, and they enjoy regular reunions together.

“We didn’t have an Athletics chaplain when I was at Georgetown,” says Jeff. “The complexity of life for student-athletes now is just tremendous and we believe this chaplaincy will be beneficial to some of them. It’s a great support for students under stress who go through rigorous academic programs on top of sports activities.”

“I went to numerous track meets and I saw the stress that the students went through,” says Nancy. “Hopefully this endowment helps relieve some of that stress with the athletes having an opportunity to speak to someone in confidence.”