*In this photo:* University Board of Trustees Vice Chair John Ridgeway shows a display check of a $5,000 gift presented as a donation by Toyota into an endowed scholarship he established with his wife Sherri. The donation was a retirement gift by Toyota; several other of his work colleague have also donated money into the endowment.

Partnerships & Collaborations, On Campus, DSU Impact

Toyota makes $5,000 donation to Ridgeway Endowed Scholarship

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

John Ridgeway, vice chairman of Delaware State University’s Board of Trustees and a 1975 graduate of the institution, recently retired as a corporate manager of Toyota’s Eastern Territory Service Center.

As part of his retirement gift, Toyota made a $5,000 donation to the John and Sherri Ridgeway Endowed Scholarship, which Mr. Ridgeway and his wife established in 2015. Mr. Ridgeway presented the check to DSU on April 9.

In addition to the corporate donation, other Toyota employees have given Mr. Ridgeway a fond farewell by also making financial gifts to the scholarship. Toyota retirement donations have increased the Ridgeway endowment to more than $27,000.

Mr. Ridgeway’s retirement comes after working 44½ years in the financial services industry – the last 12½ years of which were at Toyota.

His retirement will allow Mr. Ridgeway to focus additional time and energy on the DSU Board of Trustees, for which he has been a member since June 2016. After serving as the interim vice chair of the board during the first half of 2018, he was elected permanent chair in June 2018.

Mr. Ridgeway graduated from DSU in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.