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Graduate thanks Concordia with $1-million planned gift: ‘Education is the one thing that can never be taken away from us’

Christine Lengvari, BSc 72, supports research in the field of nutrition and women in finance

Montreal, April 19, 2017 — Before enrolling at Loyola College — one of Concordia’s founding institutions — Christine Lengvari, BSc 72, was determined to obtain a university degree. “My mother was my mentor,” says Lengvari. “Having lost everything after the war, she always said that education was the one thing that could never be taken away from us.”

Today, the proud graduate is supporting her alma mater through a $1-million planned gift; a donation tailored to an individual’s financial and charitable goals. “I feel I’ve been very fortunate during my lifetime with the organizations I’ve been involved with. They’ve given a lot to me. To me, ‘giving’ means giving back,” says Lengvari, president and CEO of Lengvari Financial Inc., a boutique insurance firm in Montreal.

The Christine Lengvari Endowment Fund will support two areas: scholarships for female students in the Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program at JMSB; and research at Concordia’s PERFORM Centre. “Today, Christine Lengvari invests in the future of Montreal and Quebec by investing in our university,” says Concordia President Alan Shepard. “We take pride in this generous gift that builds a legacy that will empower our next generation of students.”  

Lengvari has been a long-time supporter of Concordia. She served as part of the Loyola Alumni Association and was a member of the Alumni and Friends division of the Campaign for a New Millennium. She later joined Concordia’s Board of Governors, where she served for nine years. It was Lengvari who helped found Concordia’s planned giving program. “I’m a great believer in planned giving,” she says. “I think that when we are part of a community, we have to be involved. It’s an opportunity to allocate funds to the causes you care about.”

As a strong advocate for the empowerment of women, Lengvari gives her time as advisory board chair of the Concordia Alumni Women and Leadership Program. She is a member of the executive committee for the Montreal chapter of the International Women’s Forum and was previously a mentor for the John Molson Women in Business Club. She has also been part of the client committee for JMSB’s Kenneth Woods Portfolio Management Program, where she has directed part of her endowment. “I think it’s necessary to promote women and to encourage women to be involved,” she says. 


Media Contacts

Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
Director of communications
Advancement and Alumni Relations
514-848-2424, ext. 4977
514-710-7819
s-j.desjardins@concordia.ca



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