Liz and Steve Whisnant P’21 Give Back with Estate-Plan Gift to the College

Liz and Steve Whisnant P’21 were active and engaged parents during their son’s time at Connecticut College and have continued to support the College since Max’s graduation. Steve founded Stephen Whisnant Strategies, LLC in early 2014 and serves as managing director of this boutique consulting firm, which provides philanthropic services to individuals, organizations, and charitable foundations. Liz has spent decades as an educator and school leader, most recently as principal of the District of Columbia Public Schools' Horace Mann School (2005-2022). She is currently a consulting and coaching partner in school and nonprofit settings and actively serves on four educator sector boards as well as Conn’s President's Leadership Council. Max Whisnant ’21 is a student at the American University Washington College of Law. Below, Liz and Steve discuss their experiences as Conn parents and their ongoing commitment to the College.

What were some of the highlights of Max’s experience at Conn?
It was a pleasure to see our son find and use his voice during his years at Conn. He lobbied for the needs of club teams (baseball), made his way onto the stage for a TEDxConnecticut College event, and wrote enthusiastically for The College Voice, Conn’s student newspaper. Meaningful dialogue with his professors (English + Government) was a constant that nurtured his curiosity and his confidence. No experience displayed this interplay more acutely than his senior thesis presentation and professorial response. It was a privilege to witness this academic collaboration and relationship between our son and his advisors.

What was your experience like as a Conn parent? We engaged during Max’s freshman year with the Parent and Family Council, and it enriched our experience as parents. We enjoyed participating all four years—even enduring the updates and ZOOMs during COVID. We welcomed every opportunity to come to campus, and we felt very much a part of the life of the College and Max’s experiences there.

Would you talk a little about your time as part of the Parent and Family Council and the President’s Leadership Council?
We found great satisfaction in our stewardship roles on the Parent and Family Council and President’s Leadership Council. Eager to honor the independence Max was ready for as a college student, we were just as eager to embrace a participatory role in supporting the institution where this independence was exercised. We had regular opportunities to learn about and from the leading voices of the College, deepening our respect for the intentionality of team members such as Victor Arcelus, dean of students, Kim Verstandig, vice president for college advancement, and President Katherine Bergeron. Understanding each experience was unique. We were invited and encouraged to listen for trends across families and offer ideas for response.

You have been a generous and consistent supporter of the annual fund. Why has this been important to you?
We believe very much in the Annual Fund, and we have continued to support the College for almost three years now after Max’s graduation. We will continue to include it in our annual philanthropic giving. It keeps us connected.

What has motivated your giving to the College, in particular your planned gift?
First, there are so many easy ways to designate a charitable gift through a planned giving mechanism. So when we revisited our estate planning, we knew immediately we wanted to designate funds to all of those schools we have attended as a family. We absolutely believed in the leadership, the direction of the school, and what it gave, especially to Max, and we know one day it will help in some significant way. We will always be grateful for what the College did and how much it now means to Max and our family.