By Sue McMurray
The rhythmic beat of a marching band drum, screaming fans, and the excited voice of a play-byplay commentator have a certain pull on the senses, even if just over the airwaves. As a boy growing up in Wenatchee, listening to Cougar football games on a neighbor’s radio made philanthropist Chris Anderson (’84) imagine what it would be like to attend WSU.
Seeing his aunt and uncle, Judy (’67) and Wayne (’68) Walther actively engaged in WSU alumni activities, and learning about his uncle’s accounting profession, heightened Anderson’s interest in earning a degree from WSU. After graduating from high school, he entered the accounting program with the goal of becoming a CPA.
The WSU difference
Anderson says the faculty mentoring available in the accounting program was something you don’t see every day. Accounting faculty and students preparing for the CPA exam met outside of class and on weekends, and students were ready to take the exam as soon as they graduated.
Anderson also joined Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), an international honor society for accounting, finance, information systems students, and related business professionals. The BAP chapter invites accounting professionals and firms to campus to share career insights and network with students.
Anderson says the CPA review course, BAP, and other WSU opportunities were the building blocks of his professional success.
“I felt like an invisible hand was steering me along the path to success while I was at WSU,” Anderson says. “I developed great work habits in college that were foundational to my career.”
The quality of his experience set in motion a desire to give back financially to the university and the business college, a habit he has kept up for 40 years.
Value of his business degree inspires philanthropy
“I’ve been very fortunate in my career, and I attribute that to the WSU business program,” Anderson says. “I felt strongly about the quality of my experience and wanted to start giving back right after I graduated.”
For Anderson, that meant making annual gifts not only to the Carson College but also to WSU Athletics. While living in Seattle, he joined the WSU Cougar Club (now called the Cougar Athletic Fund) in 1984.
He recalls going to football watch parties at the Edgewater Hotel and decorating the Westin Hotel for Apple Cup. In 1995, he became president of his Cougar Club chapter, and he also served on the Carson College’s accounting advisory board from 1992 to 1998.
Anderson began working as a CPA for Deloitte & Touche in 1984 as a member of the audit practice, specializing in serving clients in the financial services industry. He left as a director after 30 years of dedicated service to the firm.
Anderson and his wife, Dawn (’84), whom he met in the accounting program, and their two sons eventually left Seattle and settled in Illinois in 2000. In 2014, Anderson joined Combined Insurance Company of America, a Chubb company that delivers a wide range of insurance solutions in 54 countries and territories. Today, he’s Combined’s senior vice president and chief financial officer.
Together, the Andersons became more involved in supporting the Carson College with a shared vision of cultivating an environment where students can best prepare themselves for post-graduate success. Over the years, Chris has utilized the WSU employer matching gift program that matches contributions to the donor’s area of choice.
Before Dawn passed away in 2017, the couple planned to establish the Christopher and Dawn Anderson Scholarship in Business in the Carson College. The endowed scholarship launched in 2018 and supports WSU accounting students from Chelan or Douglas Counties.
“It felt good to give annually, but it always felt short term,” Anderson says. “We wanted to make a longer commitment to help students.”
Scholarship recipient Sarra Puzankova (’25), a first-generation student, is grateful for the support toward her tuition and says she is able to focus on her studies and business club activities rather than trying to work two jobs. Before she graduated, she accepted a full-time offer from The Boeing Company as a contracts administrator in the defense headquarters. She also plans to get her MBA or go to law school after a few years.
A path to purposeful giving
Anderson says his philanthropic commitment to WSU reflects the emotional reward he feels when supporting students in need.
“I can’t say enough about the quality of the accounting program. Without that foundation, I wouldn’t have had the great career that I’ve had,” Anderson says. “I have really fond memories of our tight-knit group and the fun, social activities we had.”
Anderson says he doesn’t know whether some philanthropic tendencies of his aunt and uncle rubbed off on him, but he’s always been compelled to financially support WSU.
He advises young people to consider giving back to WSU once they are in the workforce.
“Find something that appeals to you within the Carson College and jump in,” he says. “Start early and make it a habit. The college offers lots of opportunities to support students.”
To learn more about supporting Carson College students, email ccb.development@wsu.edu.
