Remembering Regina Simpson and her commitment to LSE
Last year we were sad to learn that our former colleague Regina Simpson – known as Reggie to those who knew her well – had passed away at the age of 63. Given her true commitment to LSE during her lifetime, it was unsurprising to discover that she had chosen to include a bequest in her Will to support the School.
After relocating to the UK from the United States in the early 1990s, Reggie was at the forefront of professionalising alumni relations in the UK. She joined Middlesex University as Head of Alumni Relations before moving to LSE to manage alumni activities for the best part of four years. Her innate talent for building strong and meaningful relationships with alumni, donors and colleagues eventually led her to join LSE’s philanthropy team, where she became a skilled major gift fundraiser.
Reggie was known for having a spark, an infectious, mischievous grin and a fabulous laugh. Buoyed by her passionate belief in LSE, she had a gift for building relationships and used her talent to further LSE’s mission and place in society and the world. She immediately connected with our faculty, alumni and supporters.
There are many highlights across the 14 years that Reggie worked at LSE, but two achievements particularly stand out. The first was leading LSE’s fundraising efforts in Turkey to establish the Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies at the School. Reggie skilfully navigated the cultural differences and even took on learning Turkish. Her tenacity, persuasiveness and sheer hard work over the course of two years led to significant gifts to fully fund the Chair in perpetuity.
Reggie was also particularly committed to raising scholarship funds to support students at LSE. One of her lasting legacies was the creation of the LSE Stelios Scholarships, generously funded by alumnus and EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. She spent many hours helping him shape his gift so that recipients would be inspired to continue his giving tradition. The LSE Stelios Scholarships continue to this day with a growing community of more that 130 scholars past and present.
LSE was the place where she felt the most inspired in her work life. She deeply enjoyed her work: the colleagues she worked with, the places she visited and the people she was able to meet because of it. She'd often would get back from work beaming about a successful donation or a new fundraising relationship she’d cultivated.
Reggie raised millions of pounds for LSE as a fundraiser, helping philanthropists, students and academics to realise their dreams of shaping a better world. Through her work and her generous legacy gift, her lasting impact will continue to be felt by the LSE community for generations to come.