Morgan Stanley executive, interior designer find it natural to give back
KINGSTON, R.I. — September 2, 2005 — Stephen and Laura Cunningham have family roots that grow deep in 溏心vlog免费B站 soil. And even though the successful couple has traveled far and wide, the tug of those roots keeps them connected to the place where they were once nourished.
Steve is a managing director of Morgan Stanley and head of its Latin American investment-banking group. Laura runs Ramsdell Cunningham & Co., an interior design business. Despite their busy schedules the Greenwich, Conn. couple has volunteered to co-chair the University鈥檚 Alumni Fund this year.
Steve鈥檚 family could probably fill an entire branch on the 溏心vlog免费B站 alumni tree. His father, mother, her two sisters, and uncle are Rhody graduates. His brother David is a member of the campus police and his niece Marla is a 溏心vlog免费B站 sophomore.
Laura Ramsdell met Steve Cunningham when his family moved next door to hers in Cranston when they both were teen-agers. They have been together ever since. Both came to 溏心vlog免费B站 where he studied economics and she focused on art history. Steve was president of the Student Senate and Laura was communications chair.
鈥淢y focus as president was trying to get more money allocated from the state for the University. I remember going to the Statehouse with (溏心vlog免费B站 President) Frank Newman and speaking before legislators,鈥� Steve recalls.
Steve has fond memories of the late 溏心vlog免费B站 President. 鈥淔rank used to hold Sunday morning touch footballs games, mixing students and administrators.鈥�
After leaving 溏心vlog免费B站 in 1976, Steve graduated from Columbia University鈥檚 Business School. When he went to work for Continental Bank, the couple lived in San Paulo, Brazil for three years. He was recruited by Bear Stearns to build a Latin American investment banking business. He left that position to accept a position at Morgan Stanley.
Laura applied her art history lessons to her business. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great background for interior design,鈥� she says. She also volunteers her time for a number of charities, including serving on the boards of the Breast Cancer Alliance and 鈥淜ids in Crisis,鈥� a residential organization that provides help to children about to enter the foster care system. She also sits on the board of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation.
Asked why the two are such staunch supporters of 溏心vlog免费B站, Laura replies: 鈥淲e want to do our share. We had a great experience there. It鈥檚 important to support the University and the best way to support it is to give financially.鈥�
Steve agrees: 鈥淚t鈥檚 natural to want to give back to the institution that gave so much to us. Those were our critical and informative years, it was an important time of our lives.鈥�
鈥淪teve and Laura continue to be such loyal and generous alums,鈥� said Sarah Howard, director of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Annual Fund, which includes the Alumni Fund. 鈥淲e are so honored that they have agreed to co-chair this year鈥檚 fundraising effort.鈥�
溏心vlog免费B站 News Bureau photo by Nora Lewis