During a private ceremony on April 17, Melvin Douglas “Doug” Ivester surprised his wife by revealing the University of Georgia School of Nursing will be named in her honor as the Victoria Kay Ivester School of Nursing. The naming recognizes gifts from Doug Ivester and the Ivester Foundation that will create a $20.5 million endowment to benefit the school.
Longtime benefactors of the university, the Ivesters have funded scholarships, named buildings and sponsored leadership initiatives across campus. Their support of UGA includes a $5 million gift to help fund and create the M. Douglas and V. Kay Ivester Institute for Business Analytics and Insights in the Terry College of Business.
The April 17 gathering was presented as an update on the university’s School of Medicine, which the Ivesters previously supported. The program then shifted to a surprise announcement of the naming.
“Doug and Kay, it would be impossible for this institution to sufficiently thank you for decades of enduring support and for this most recent gift that will do so much to advance our state,” said President Jere W. Morehead at the ceremony. “You truly represent the very best of the University of Georgia, and we are so fortunate to count you as champions of this great institution.”
The newly named Victoria Kay Ivester School of Nursing reflects the Ivesters’ longstanding commitment to the University of Georgia and their broad impact on communities across the state.
“Kay has long held an interest in nursing and nursing education. At heart, she is a caregiver, always concerning herself with the well-being of others,” said Doug Ivester. “Both of us have long admired, even revered, the University of Georgia, and we were excited when we learned that UGA would begin offering medical and nursing degrees. We believe the Victoria Kay Ivester School of Nursing will offer outstanding educational opportunities for future students who will ultimately make great contributions to the state’s medical community and the health and well-being of Georgia citizens. Kay and I cannot express adequately how honored we are to see Kay’s name on the new UGA School of Nursing.”
Doug Ivester is president of Deer Run Investments LLC. A 1969 graduate of UGA’s Terry College of Business, he was elected chairman of the board and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Company in 1997. Ivester joined the company in 1979 after service as its outside accountant for a decade while with Ernst & Ernst, now EY Ernst & Young.
Two years later, he was named senior vice president of finance, and in 1985, he became chief financial officer at the age of 37. He retired from Coca-Cola in 2000. He is an emeritus trustee of the University of Georgia Foundation, a trustee of Brenau University and a director of the Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation.
Kay Ivester is co-founder of the foundation and helps guide its philanthropic vision alongside her husband. She has long championed the role of health care and education in strengthening communities. She and her husband were high school sweethearts who met in the New Holland community of Hall County, and they established the foundation to support nonprofit institutions and charitable causes that enrich the region they call home.
Through their foundation, the Ivesters have supported a wide range of health care education initiatives, including scholarships and academic programs at Brenau University. Their philanthropy also helped establish two health-focused academic units at Brenau, the Ivester College of Health Sciences and the Mary Inez Grindle School of Nursing, named in honor of Kay’s mother.
“The school that will carry your name will be built on the same values that I understand you have lived by: care for others, presence in community and the belief that the people around you deserve the very best of what you have to give,” said Carolyn K. Clevenger, founding dean of the UGA School of Nursing, during her remarks. “It is an honor to build this school. It is a privilege to build it in your name.”
Georgia is facing a critical nursing workforce crisis, with a projected 21% shortfall in registered nurses by 2035. This widening gap is driven by a combination of factors, including an aging population, disparities in health care access between rural and urban communities and a severe shortage of nurse educators.
The University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the establishment of an independent School of Nursing at UGA in May 2025, and the university plans to welcome its first nursing students as early as fall 2027.
“Today, we are celebrating not only the launch of a new academic school but also the enduring Ivester legacy and its impact on lives across this state,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Benjamin C. Ayers in his remarks. “This is a moment we will look back on as pivotal in UGA’s history. We are deeply grateful, deeply honored and incredibly excited for what lies ahead.”