An Eastern alumna’s legacy will continue.

The creation of a new Eastern Illinois University Foundation endowment fund in honor of Valerie Averill was announced at the Residence Hall Association/National Residence Hall Honorary end of the year banquet Friday.

Averill, 51, who died April 16 as result of complications from diabetes, worked with The National Association of College and University Residence Halls for more than 30 years and served as the organization’s national adviser for the past eight years.

Mark Hudson, director of University Housing and Dining Services, said Averill’s life, which was spent working with and advising students, was affected by opportunities she received to develop her leadership skills as an undergraduate at Eastern.

The endowment fund has been created at the request of Donna Averill, Valerie’s mother.

“Valerie’s family feels the best way to honor her memory is to ensure that EIU students continue to receive that same opportunity given Valerie,” Hudson said.

Money from the Dr. Valerie S. Averill Leadership Development Endowment Fund will be used to pay the registration fees and travel expenses for Eastern students who attend state, regional, and national residence hall leadership conferences. As the endowment grows, funding may be applied to other opportunities to develop leadership skills among Eastern students active in residence hall organizations.

Hudson, who was a close friend of Averill’s, said the two met through Eastern’s Resident Housing Association in 1977, when she was a freshman and he was a sophomore.

“Val was really a shy person-she was very private-but she really loved working with college students, first as a student leader, but also as an adviser,” Hudson said.

Averill served as an RHA officer for three years, one year as treasurer and two full years as president-she was the only Eastern student to have done so.

While at Eastern, Averill was an active member of the Great Lakes Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls, which a division of NACURH the national organization, that represents residence hall associations at colleges and universities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada.

Averill served as the director of GLACURH beginning in the fall of 1980 through the spring of 1981, and served as the organization’s adviser the following year while attending graduate school at Eastern.

That year, Averill was named the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Board’s outstanding senior and was also the winner of the University Housing and Dining’s Enochs scholarship, the department’s highest award for student service.

“She was quite recognized for her efforts,” Hudson said.

After completing her graduate degree at Eastern, Averill worked for various universities throughout the nation including Texas Tech University, South Dakota State University, the University of Minnesota at Mankato, Kansas State University, Western Illinois University and most recently the University of South Florida, where she worked as the associate director for Assessment Services.

Averill served as an adviser for the Southwest affiliate and Midwest affiliate of NACURH before being chosen as the organization’s national adviser. In 2008 the NACUHR renamed their adviser of the year award in Averill’s Honor.

“Her whole life was spent working with and advising students,” Hudson said.

There will be a memorial service in Averill’s honor 2 p.m. June 12 at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Donations for the endowment fund are currently being accepted.

Jason Hardimon can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected]