This is an archived UW-P news item,
originally posted: 3/10/2008.
Giving is a Family Tradition
Rita Petretti gets a twinkle in her eye when she thinks back to the days when she was an employee on the newly established UW-Parkside campus. "I worked for the University Relations office out of an old farm house on Highway E. It was a fun time," Petretti recalls. At that time, Greenquist and Tallent Halls were the only existing buildings on campus, so the university utilized some of the houses that were still standing on the newly purchased 700 acres of state land. Later, Petretti left Parkside to pursue a career in publishing and public relations, but, despite a 3-year stay in Rome working for an Italian actress, she has spent most of her life in Kenosha. She has had the opportunity to witness, first-hand, UW-Parkside's growth from its farm-house beginnings into a complex educational and economic regional force.
Today, as President of Petretti Realty Corporation, which owns and manages 800 rental units in Kenosha, Petretti continues to "work" for UW-Parkside as a trustee of the UW-Parkside Foundation Board, proving that more than just her memories connect her with UW-Parkside. In 2002, Rita's parents made a gift to establish the Frank J. Petretti Field House, which helped make the expansion of the campus' Sports and Activity Center a reality. In 2005, Petretti followed suit when she established the Frank and Corinne Petretti Endowed Scholarship in honor and memory of her parents. The Petretti Scholarship is earmarked for graduates of Kenosha high schools who demonstrate academic achievement and declare a School of Business and Technology (SBT) major. The culture of generosity embodied by the Petretti family has had a significant impact on the entire campus, and business students will continue to benefit from their goodwill for many years to come.
Publish date: 3/10/2008
