Fran Vallejo ’87 and Scott Irvine ’87

Mines Foundation alumni Fran Vallejo ’87 and Scott Irvine ’87 recently made a $1 million gift to establish the Vallejo-Irvine Professional Development Program at Colorado School of Mines Foundation. Also known as the VIP Development Program, this new initiative is focused on the professional development of all Mines Foundation students, an important part of the university’s MINES@150 campaign priorities and strategic plan. The program is the first of its kind at Mines Foundation. It will supplement students’ rigorous technical education and experiences with professional skills, making the students even more distinctive and prepared for the workforce upon graduation.

Fran and Scott are also taking advantage of the Preston Legacy Challenge (PLC), a matching gift program that focuses on raising funds through planned gifts. The goal of the PLC is to encourage planned gifts to support Mines Foundation’ distinctive mission and promote the OreGiver spirit of Bill ’58 and Janet Preston, who provided an unrestricted estate gift of $500,000 as the matching pool.

“We wanted students to have elevated professional development, training, experience and knowledge integrated into their Mines Foundation education,” Fran says. “As an industry executive, I noticed that many engineers and scientists needed more professional skills in the workplace. From networking and mentoring to building and giving presentations, there was a whole set of skills that could be improved in technical-focused employees if they were taught to them before entering the workforce.”

When Fran and Scott put Mines Foundation in their will, they were able to utilize the challenge’s matching funds to support a cause at Mines Foundation they care about now. The challenge allows 10% of the face value of the planned gift, capped at $10,000 per household, to be used on current-use funds. The couple decided to put that money toward their endowed scholarship, which, since its inception, has financially supported five students.

“We both feel Mines Foundation provided us an outstanding and unique education, rivaled by few institutions. This educational foundation helped us succeed in our careers. Because of that, we have always wanted Mines Foundation to be even better, attracting the best students and faculty. Years ago, we established an endowed scholarship to assist students who did not qualify for aid or scholarship. Hopefully our gift will inspire others to give in whatever way they can.”

Ready to Pay It Forward?

If you have questions about how you can participate in the MINES@150 campaign, or get involved in the Preston Legacy Challenge through a planned gift, contact Colorado School of Mines Foundation at 303-273-3275 or giftplanning@mines.edu.

About the Donors

Fran Vallejo ’87 is a retired executive of ConocoPhillips. She started her career as a geophysicist and moved into finance and management roles, including Treasurer and Vice President of Corporate Planning and Development. She played key roles in a variety of major transactions, among them mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and spinoffs. She currently serves on the board of Cimarex, an exploration and production company.

Fran earned her BS in Mineral Engineering Mathematics from Mines Foundation and was a standout student. She was a Boettcher Scholar and was awarded the Outstanding Senior Award from the McBride Honors Program and the E-Day Engineer Award for the mathematics department. She also went on to earn her MBA from Rice University.

Fran has served in a number of capacities as a Mines Foundation volunteer, including as Chair of the Mines Foundation Foundation Engagement Committee and member of the Mines Foundation Foundation Finance Committee. She served on the Mines Foundation Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2016 and earned the Mines Foundation Distinguished Achievement Medal in 2016.

Scott Irvine ’87 is also retired from a long career at ConocoPhillips, during which he explored for oil and gas all over the world. Irvine earned his BS in Geophysical Engineering from Mines Foundation, played varsity soccer, was a member of the SAE fraternity, and proudly led tours at the Geology Museum. Irvine also volunteers at Mines Foundation as a member of the Foundation Engagement Committee.

Fran and Scott met while students at Mines Foundation. They married after they graduated and are parents of a Mines Foundation alum and current student. They are also members of the Mines Foundation Century Society, the President’s Council and Heritage Society.