For more than five decades, alumnus Don MacKay (BSIM ’75) has embodied the spirit of service. What began as a simple act of planting a tree as a freshman at Purdue in 1972 has grown, quite literally, into a symbol of his lifelong commitment to giving back.
“It was Arbor Day and I was running for president of McCutcheon Hall,” he recalls. “A friend of mine suggested we plant a tree to get some publicity, but what it really did was show me the importance of service work and being involved.”
Decades later, in a moment of reflection, he rediscovered an old photo of the event and sent his daughter and grandchildren to track down the tree during a football weekend visit. “Sure enough, they found the tree outside the Pharmacy Building and sent me a photo,” MacKay recalls. “Both grandsons were just sitting up in the tree.”
That moment served as a metaphor for his own journey—how a small act of service had grown into something much larger. “When I went back, I said, ‘This can’t be the tree—it’s too big.’ My friend tactfully reminded me, ‘What do you mean too big? It’s been sitting here for 53 years!’” MacKay jokes.
His dedication to service extended beyond his time as a student. Throughout his career as an executive at Sears Holdings, he developed a passion for recruiting and mentoring young talent. Interestingly, his involvement in Purdue’s recruitment efforts began by chance when a colleague noticed the Purdue flag hanging in the hallway outside his office. “They asked if I wanted to help recruit at Purdue because Sears was about to drop the business school,” he explains. “I looked into it and realized they had no idea what Purdue was about.”
By leveraging his connections and knowledge, MacKay turned things around, transforming Sears into one of the business school’s leading employers. Even after retiring in 2013, his desire to stay engaged never wavered. “When I was figuring out what I’d miss most about work, I realized it was interacting with students,” he says. “That’s when I found out about the school’s alumni board and said, ‘I want to keep working with students.’ That started the whole process.”
Since joining the Daniels School Alumni Board, MacKay has been deeply involved in programs such as mock interviews, career conversations, capstone project coaching and guest speaking. His favorite part? Seeing students land the jobs they aspire to. “I love it when students reach out and say, ‘Hey, guess what? I got the job,’” he says. “As a parent, I remember how satisfying it was when my kids told me they got jobs,” he says. “It’s rewarding to help students reach that milestone.”
MacKay also emphasizes the importance of soft skills, networking and confidence in the hiring process. “A lot of students think the recruiter has the upper hand, but I tell them, ‘The recruiter is there because they need to hire people—it’s not a one-sided conversation,’” he explains. His advice often revolves around authenticity. “I tell them, ‘Be yourself. Let your personality come through. And don’t forget to smile!’”
MacKay’s impact doesn’t end when students graduate. Many of those he mentored are now successful professionals, and he’s found ways to connect them with current students. “I’ve known some of my first hires for over 20 years,” he reflects. “Now, I connect them with students looking for advice or job opportunities. It’s a full-circle moment.”
Beyond individual connections, MacKay encourages young alumni to give back. “They just successfully navigated a huge milestone—graduating and getting a job,” he says. “Being asked to help others reminds them of how far they’ve come, and it gives them a great sense of accomplishment.”
MacKay’s commitment to serving the Daniels School was recognized with the 2021-22 Charlene Sullivan Transformative Impact Award, an honor that came as a complete surprise. “I had no idea I was getting it,” he admits. “I just thought I was attending an event, so it was really special.”
Despite being retired, MacKay spends a remarkable amount of time on campus, so much so that he jokes his car could make the trip without him. “Lately, I’ve been down there at least twice a month, sometimes three times,” he says. “I promised my wife and kids I’d stop driving back alone at night, so now it requires an overnight stay—but that’s OK.”
After decades of volunteering, MacKay has no plans to slow down. His driving force remains simple: he loves working with students. “I just enjoy it,” he says. “As long as I can keep making a difference, I’ll keep coming back.
