As I reflect on fiscal year 2012, many things are clear. You, alumni and friends of the Darden School, have raised the bar through your recordsetting generosity. You have energized the School’s bold vision for world-class impact and stature, and you have shaped the future by supporting the next generation of leaders.

As I look back on the year, I am reminded of many moments that I wish you could observe. The moment when a fellowship is awarded to a talented, hardworking individual with big dreams. The moment when a new professor "takes the stage" for the first time at a school where teaching really matters. The moment when a corporation solves a business challenge in Darden Executive Education. And the moment when a faculty research project, years in the making, reaches a conclusion that will advance innovative thinking in business.

Together, we are making a global impact. Last year, the newest format of the Darden MBA, the Global MBA for Executives, held its first residencies in China and Brazil. The faculty published new global cases, and students gathered with alumni in Shanghai for our first Global Leadership Forum, to be held again in May 2013. The world is watching, and in October, The Economist named Darden the best "education experience" on the planet and the No. 3 MBA in the world.

These are big moments in the history of Darden, yet the "smaller moments" form the bedrock: a warm greeting at the Gatehouse, an exam snack at First Coffee and a teacher who makes sure the door is always propped wide open.

Your gift to Darden makes these moments — big and small — possible, and you have my gratitude and thanks.

Best regards,

Robert F. Bruner
Dean, Darden School of Business