"God used Zig Ziglar to change
my life." Those are the words of
Mike Ingram, a successful Phoenix-based developer whose friendship with Zig
Ziglar helped him learn to build his life's work on Godly, biblical principles.
Mr. Ingram also had a friendship with Dr. Loren Gresham, President of Southern
Nazarene University, and the convergence of those three men, Ziglar, Ingram and
Gresham led to
the birth of an idea, a place where the value-based principles that are a part
of Zig Ziglar's legacy can be taught at the university level to various
segments of society.
They began asking the question,
"How will God use Zig Ziglar's message to shape the next generation?"
The answer came into focus, faith-filled education. Create a place where Zig's
message can be boldly articulated and embedded in a variety of curricula and
programs. Southern Nazarene
University became the answer, because
SNU is where the Zig
Ziglar Center
for Ethical Leadership would be established. With a lead gift of $1,000,000,
Mike and Sheila Ingram stepped forward to help establish the Ziglar Center.
Since then, others have joined in, Gary and Diane Heavins, Hugh Morton and
scores of others who through their financial support, have said, "I want
to ensure that Zig's legacy will continue to change lives for years to
come."
Zig's hope, in partnership with
Gresham and Ingram, is to create a learning environment where people learn to
lead their families, their businesses, their churches, their non-profits, with
a set of qualities and values that have stood the test of time. They dreamed of
a place where college freshmen, graduate students, business executives and
civic servants all gather together to learn and apply the fundamental
principles of ethical leadership. From such a place, they see thousands of
people going out to live better lives, inspire others and change the course and
character of a nation.