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University of Portland Board of Regent and longtime benefactor Amy Dundon-Berchtold passes away

President

March 23, 2020

Amy Dundon-Berchtold and Jim BerchtoldUniversity of Portland regent and longtime benefactor Amy Dundon-Berchtold passed away on Monday, March 16. A visionary real estate entrepreneur and investor, Amy, along with her husband Jim Berchtold ’63, gave generously to the University of Portland. In 2011, Amy and Jim created the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation and Applied Ethics, which offers classes, public events, and student-faculty research support. From the success of that endeavor, Amy and Jim provided the lead gift for the University’s first new academic building in 25 years, Dundon-Berchtold Hall. This new academic building has transformed the University of Portland campus, with classrooms, faculty offices, formal and informal gathering areas, and state-of-the-art teaching resources. 

After earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree from the University of California Irvine, Amy went on to a remarkably successful 40-year career buying, selling, and renovating properties. A dedicated philanthropist, Amy Dundon-Berchtold has also contributed to other endeavors, including the Boys & Girls Club of Garden Grove, the University of Southern California, the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, and many, many other worthy causes. Amy was elected to the University of Portland’s Board of Regents in 2013 and received an honorary doctorate from UP in 2019.