SUNY ESF
Donor Profile Wendy Marsh
Igniting the Magic
By Judy Gelman Myers
Wendy Marsh believes that ESF students wield the key to making the world a better place. Thatʼs why she created an endowed scholarship for the school and serves on the ESF College Foundation Board.
As Chair of the Environmental and Land Use Planning Department at Hancock Estabrook, a prestigious law firm in Upstate New York, Marsh works with clients to comply with the current environmental laws, obtain approvals for development projects, and educate municipal boards on the requirements for reviewing development projects. She enjoys empowering boards with the knowledge they need to ask difficult questions and fully comprehend the projects that are presented for review.
Marsh was invited to join the ESF College Foundation Board by Hancock Estabrook colleague Marion Hancock Fish, who has been on the ESF College Foundation board for decades. Marsh gladly accepted the position. “I love being on the board. The leadership makes it seamless for us to have a tremendous impact on the ESF students.”
In addition to serving on the board, Marsh established an endowed scholarship for
ESF with a focus on students in the Finger Lakes, even though the large sum was a
stretch for her. Marsh and her brother were the first in their family to attend college,
so she understands the difference a scholarship can make. “I went to SUNY myself.
While some studentsʼ parents have the ability to finance a college education, other
students do not have that luxury. Student debt can be an issue, and I didnʼt want
to see these wonderful scholars in a position to reject jobs they want when they graduate,
because of the amount they owe.”
This year, Marsh won a 2023 Feinstone Award for her contributions to ESF and many other organizations. The award honors people across the U.S. for their significant contributions to protecting the environment, and Marsh is typically down to earth about it. “If Iʼm asked to do something, and itʼs the right thing to do, I do it. Then I move on to the next right thing. It feels a little strange being honored for that.”
Doing the right thing is precisely what Marsh admires about the ESF students she meets. “ESF students want to make significant changes to our environment, and theyʼve got the training, the focus, and the fresh perspective to do it. Thatʼs why I am dedicated to supporting them.”
For prospective donors Marsh has two words of advice: unrestricted funding. “A lot of people like funding brick and mortar projects, but unrestricted donations are where things happen. You are able to support putting these brilliant kids in a room with a great professor, and they come up with something that the rest of us canʼt even imagine. Itʼs not tangible—itʼs magic.”