Becoming the helping hand
The impetus for the Holt family’s giving goes back to a time of need.
Roughly 60 years ago, the University of Michigan took a chance on Jon Holt (BSE IOE ’68). And ever since, both he and his wife, Bev, have been paying their alma mater back.
As a U-M sophomore studying industrial engineering in the mid-1960s, Holt’s Minnesota-based family encountered financial difficulties, jeopardizing his continued studies in Ann Arbor. Around that time, Allan F. Smith, interim vice president for academic affairs, had published a letter saying financial barriers shouldn’t keep students from a U-M education.
Holt, looking for any opportunity, made an unannounced visit to Smith’s office and scored a quick meeting. True to his word, Smith helped Holt arrange a repayable grant to keep him enrolled. It set him on a trajectory that led to his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from U-M, an MBA from Purdue University and, eventually, his current position as chairman and principal owner of Super Radiator Coils (SRC), a manufacturer of heat transfer equipment.
“I really owed a lot to U-M for helping me through those hard times,” said Jon, 79. “I did pay back every nickel, but, as a result, I felt an obligation to do as much for U-M as I could going forward.”
Bev has been a partner in all of this since before her own graduation from U-M in 1968 with a degree in sociology. She shares Jon’s passion for giving back to the university, with the couple backing a wide variety of projects within Michigan Engineering and beyond.
“A lot of what we’ve done has focused on scholarship or teaching,” said Bev, whose father was a professor at Michigan State University, and whose mother was a teacher. That commitment is apparent in their funding of a teaching award, scholarships and a professorship in Michigan Engineering, in addition to supporting Michigan Medicine, U-M’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance and a slew of areas in U-M Athletics, including football and golf. Their scholarship funding has supported 11 students over the years.
Their children, Rob Holt (BSE IOE ‘96, MBA Ross ’01), SRCs president and CEO, and Kari Mellina (BSE IOE ‘99), the company’s executive vice president and CFO, have charted a similar path.
Kari and her husband, Michael Mellina, have thrown their support behind U-M’s Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering. Kari also holds an MBA from The College of William and Mary.
Rob and his wife, Amy Holt (Ross BBA ’96, MBA Ross ’01), have supported the U-M Alumni Association, the Michigan Engineering Fund, the Ross School of Business and soccer and gymnastics scholarships in Athletics. It is, truly, a family effort.
Both Jon and Bev make a point of meeting the people they’re supporting and working with U-M’s Office of Advancement to ensure the goals of their efforts are being met, and tweaking programs when necessary to make that happen.
“I feel like the most valuable thing we have as a country and a group of people is education,” Jon said. “The more education we can provide, the better things will be for everybody.”