Jon Jacocks, an NC State Industrial Engineering alum (1976) and President and CEO of Empower RF Systems, recently created an endowment to support military and veteran students pursuing graduate education at the College of Engineering. Through this gift, he hopes to provide opportunities for students on similar paths, opening doors for future leaders with military backgrounds.
Jacocks’ success story began with a scholarship. “A four-year ROTC scholarship paid for my undergraduate degree at NC State,” he recalled, “and I spent five years on active duty as an Army officer.” The combination of technical education and military service provided crucial skills that propelled his career.
Inspired by these experiences, Jacocks seeks to help others follow a similar path. “I want to do my part to help stimulate (and fund) access to opportunities for others who are on active duty or completing their military service commitments,” he explained. “Veterans with technical skills and discipline are valuable resources for both industry and our country.”
This endowment effort aligns closely with NC State’s mission to serve veterans and military students. Brandon McConnell, who leads the Military and Veterans Program at the College of Engineering, emphasized the importance of alumni contributions like Jacocks. “I am thrilled to see these NC State alumni—Jon Jacocks, Patricia Kinney, and Julie and Lee Skipper—lead the way in student support for military and veterans in the College of Engineering. These endowments significantly expand our ability to recruit, attract, and support the next generation of veterans to leverage their military service into an impactful engineering career.”
The Philanthropy team at NC State reached out to Jacocks in Southern California, discussing the College of Engineering’s needs and how he could help. “The timing was good, program leaders are very committed, and the endowment process was easy,” Jacocks said. Before this, his donations were smaller and less focused, but now his contribution targets a cause that can make a lasting impact.
North Carolina’s significant veteran presence makes this cause particularly impactful. “Ours is the most military-friendly state in the nation and boasts the third-largest military presence in the country,” McConnell added, “with more than 720,000 veterans. As NC State’s College of Engineering seeks to expand, we will continue to empower military and veteran students to gain valuable engineering and computer science skills to provide meaningful employment whether as civilians or within the military.”
Jacocks’ endowment supports a program led by McConnell, providing financial assistance for graduate students to cover research projects, travel, and conferences. Wanda Urbanska, Director of Philanthropy for the ISE Department, noted, “Gifts like these help attract new students and retain current ones by filling in the gaps to help fund research, projects, research-associated travel, and conferences. They can be used for outright student awards.”
Jacocks hopes to give military and veteran students the same chances he received. “Technically astute, critical thinkers with personal and professional discipline from military service are a vital resource and ideal employees,” he said. “I’m excited to be able to ‘give back’ and help the next generation of leaders.” He also encourages current students to value teamwork and seek out connections, saying, “Good people like to work with other good people—look for that kind of connection, and it’s really pretty simple from there.”
Patricia Kinney’s Endowment
Patricia Kinney, who earned her master’s in industrial engineering from NC State in 1985, is the first alum to establish an endowment-level gift for NC State’s new graduate military and veteran program in the College of Engineering. Earlier this year, she created the U.S. Armed Forces Engineering Endowment to support this program broadly.
Kinney has always felt a strong connection to those who serve or have served in America’s military. After meeting with McConnell and learning about the program’s goals, she felt inspired to contribute. “Kinney was particularly moved by the program’s focus on personalized support and building a close community for military and veteran students,” explained Urbanska. This meaningful conversation led her to document her major gift, which will help strengthen the program for years to come.
Julie and Lee Skipper’s Endowment
Julie and Lee Skipper’s generous donation to NC State’s College of Engineering supports military and veteran students. This gift honors a legacy of military service in their own families and helps bridge financial gaps for those pursuing graduate studies.
For the Skippers, this decision was personal. Lee’s father served as a Marine for 35 years, starting as a Private First Class and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. His dedication to education greatly influenced the family. “My father was a career Marine who served for 35 years. He enlisted out of high school, starting at the lowest rank of Private First Class (PFC). Through hard work, dedication, and education, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel,” Lee shared.
When the opportunity arose to support military students, the Skippers saw it as a way to honor Lee’s father. “When we learned of this opportunity, it struck us as an appropriate way to honor father’s memory, to support those who are striving to develop themselves through their hard work and dedication,” Lee said.
Their gift will support programs that provide resources for military students. The Skippers believe this will help equip future leaders and continue a legacy of service.