Chris Ekimoff, '07 (MBA '08), chose St. Bonaventure because of three things: a strong accounting program, proximity to his hometown outside Rochester, New York, and the ability to compete as a D1 athlete with the men's swimming and diving team.

Now, more than a decade-and-a-half after leaving campus, he continues his involvement with the university through the Franciscan values he learned here and the pride he holds in encouraging today's students.

"The next generation really matters to me," said Ekimoff, who serves as director of Financial Investigations and Dispute Services at RSM US LLP and as an adjunct professor at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School. "Because of the positive experience I had at St. Bonaventure and how it has shaped my life in so many ways, I want to help replicate that for others."

From his days of logging laps in the pool and reps in the weight room to focusing on academics as a student in the 4+1 MBA in Professional Accountancy program, Ekimoff praises the attention given to him by his coaches and professors.

"One of the first questions asked of me wasn't how am I doing at math or in training, but rather how am I doing as a person," he said.

That Franciscan focus on community taught him to view others through the same kind of caring lens, a practice he uses daily in the business world.

"There's a lot of opportunity for folks to be cynical and take advantage of each other in a business setting, but the Franciscan focus helps to rightsize how you feel about yourself and how you feel about others."

From the moment of his first swim practice in the fall of 2003, Ekimoff felt as if he had 25 brothers moving forward with him. His growth with the team and as a student overall was exponential. In 2007, he was honored as the A10 Student Athlete of the Year and the Ideal Bonaventure Man.

Head Swimming and Diving Coach Mike Smiechowski praises Ekimoff's strong commitment to today's student-athletes. "Chris is among a dedicated group of alumni who provide crucial resources that help our students hone their strengths and realize their full potential," he said. "He is first to cheer on the team and first to step up with a donation."

Ekimoff has contributed to the Bonnies Athletic Fund from the day he graduated and has increased his commitment with every raise he's received since.

"As a student-athlete, I saw firsthand the level of support alumni give to all athletic programs. Especially when we'd compete against well-funded teams like Michigan State and Notre Dame, it was evident that the Athletics Department was working with a different budget. Even though I was a 22-year-old, entry-level employee working to make rent in D.C., I knew that my $5 donation per paycheck would add up throughout the year to support SBU."

Few things please Ekimoff more these days than connecting with students and fellow alumni or visiting campus and attending a swim meet.

"St. Bonaventure is a community that creates a great set of standards for you to live your life by and a great set of folks to live your life alongside," he said, noting that he still texts his former teammates and roommates weekly. "I look at the Franciscan values as being the mold that put us all together to be in a place to really care about each other and help each other out."

Following 15 years in Washington, D.C., Ekimoff and his wife, Casey (Martin), a member of the Class of 2012, moved to Buffalo in 2021 to start their family. While he loved D.C., it was "a step too far" from the people he knew and the campus he grew to love. He has since become a contributing figure in the Buffalo alumni chapter, and parent to their daughter, Emery, who joined the family in October 2023.

"Giving back for me is really making Bonaventure a part of my life in a way that's meaningful to me and to others," he said.

For alumni unsure how to get involved, he suggests contacting their local alumni chapter, reaching out to the university's Office of Alumni Engagement, and asking what they can contribute to the next generation of students.

"I strongly encourage everyone to consider how they might be able to donate to the university, whether that's financially, sharing your story as a guest speaker, talking to young alums, or encouraging prospective students to attend," he said. "If you have a club that you were a part of or effort that you helped support, that's a great way to engage. Think about what St. Bonaventure has meant to you and how you can give back."

For Ekimoff, doing all of that comes naturally.

"I can't think of a life without St. Bonaventure," he said.

St. Bonaventure Athletics Giving Day is Thursday, April 18. Together, let's advance the landscape of St. Bonaventure Athletics. For more information about St. Bonaventure Athletics Giving Day or to make a donation, please visit www.sbu.edu/AthleticsGivingDay