54 Annual Report | 2023-2024 A LIFE OF SERVICE AT SUGARLAND RANCH AN INTERVIEW WITH MACK MCKINLEY ‘67 In this Q&A, Mack McKinley ’67, reflects on his life’s journey, the power of education and his hopes for the next generation. ABOUT MACK MCKINLEY ‘67 Mack McKinley grew up in Riverside, a neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, along the Niagara River. From an early age, Mack was drawn to a life of human service, dedicating himself to making a positive impact in the lives of others. Twenty years ago, his focus shifted from helping people to strengthening the bond between humans and animals. Mack and his wife, Robyn, have dedicated the latter part of their lives to rescuing, protecting, and caring for dogs at their nonprofit, Sugarland Ranch, in Reno, Nevada. SJCI: Can you share a bit about your background? MCKINLEY: I graduated from St. Joe’s in 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War. I enlisted in the Air Force at 19 years old and spent four years overseas at a NATO base over in Western Europe. And before opening Sugarland Ranch, I worked in group homes, ran a countywide adolescent substance abuse program in Northern California and, with Robyn, developed six communitybased living programs, which are still in existence today, in Sonoma County called Community Living Options. SJCI: Tell me a little bit about Sugarland Ranch and how it came to be. MCKINLEY: Sugarland Ranch is a nonprofit dog rescue, shelter, and boarding facility that Robyn and I started in 2001. We both have a soft spot for animals and are just mission-driven people. Social entrepreneurs, you could say. And how did it come to be? I don’t know how, really (laughing), it was a bit unexpected. Robyn and I fortuitously met a couple from Tempe, Arizona, who founded and still run a wildlife park called Out of Africa. After talking with them for about a year and thinking about how we wanted to spend the next part of our lives, we decided to merge our organizations. SJCI: You’re an animal lover, but what prepared you to take on a venture like Sugarland Ranch? MCKINLEY: The education I got at St. Joe’s was unparalleled, but the one aspect that stuck with me was the school’s focus on giving back. That really resonated with me, and when the opportunity came along to create something like that (Sugarland Ranch), I didn’t want to look back and regret it. SJCI: What kind of student were you when you attended St. Joe’s? MCKINLEY: I wasn’t a real confident kid going into St. Joe’s at 12 or 13 years old, but strangely enough, by the time I left there, I had a keen sense of confidence within me. For me, that didn’t come from family, the neighborhood, or anything like that. It was absolutely because of the four years I spent at St. Joe’s. Just being a part of that milieu, honest to God, it really makes a difference. SJCI: What was your conversation like with Robyn when you mentioned the idea of starting an endowment at St. Joe’s? MCKINLEY: What is so darn good about St. Joe’s is that if you show up and put in the effort, you’ll walk away with an amazing education. Over the years, I always talked with Robyn about my fellow classmates, the impact the school had on my life and how important it was to me. Because she appreciates the value of a good education, we both agreed that contributing to incoming students, and giving them a chance to do good in the world was exactly what we both wanted. SJCI: You’re donating a sizable chunk of your estate to St. Joe’s. Can you share a bit about what you and Robyn hope your gift will allow St. Joe’s to do for students in the future?
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTcyNDA=