Gina and Chip Crunk (center) are greeted at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium by Matt Mossberg (left), UM associate athletics director for development, and Keith Carter, vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics. Photo by Bill Dabney/UM Foundation
OXFORD, Miss. – Chip Crunk is no stranger to the University of Mississippi.
“I’m up here at least once a month trying to give back, trying to do the right things and help young people better themselves,” said Crunk, president and CEO of the RJ Young Co. of Nashville, Tennessee.
The 1987 UM graduate and his wife, Gina, recently made a $500,000 gift to Ole Miss athletics, the latest of many gifts to his alma mater.
“That’s the reason you work hard: so you have the ability to give back to help young people have better opportunities to attend college and be proud of what the university has to offer,” Crunk said. “I want to see young people have the opportunity to better themselves.”
Crunk is also no stranger to hard work. He started his career with RJ Young at age 14, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping, mopping and taking out trash.
After graduating from Ole Miss, Crunk returned to the company as a sales representative. He became director of sales in 1989, then executive vice president and chief operating officer. In 1995, he took the reins and led RJ Young to experience double-digit annual growth.
Providing technology services and office solutions for small- to enterprise-level businesses across every industry, the multimillion-dollar company ranks as the largest privately held dealer in the Southeast and one of the largest in the nation. Crunk oversees an operation that covers eight states and employs more than 650 people in 30 locations.
“We are so grateful to Chip and Gina for their commitment to the University of Mississippi and specifically to Ole Miss athletics,” said Keith Carter, vice chancellor of intercollegiate athletics. “This type of leadership gift shows the Crunks’ commitment to helping us make a difference in the lives of our student-athletes.
“Gifts like these are inspiring to others who may be considering whether the timing is right to give back to Ole Miss. Other potential donors will see Chip and Gina leading the way toward increased support and hopefully feel that they want to contribute too.”
Besides his interest in opportunities for student-athletes, Crunk said he is equally determined to see the School of Business Administration grow in national stature. A longtime member of the school’s advisory board, he serves as president.
Crunk is also a member and past president of the Copier Dealers Association, along with serving on both the Canon USA and Ricoh Corp. copier dealer counsels. He is active in church, community and civic organizations and enjoys flying, boating, golfing and cheering for the Rebels and Tennessee Titans.
The Crunks live in Brentwood, Tennessee, and have two children: Trey, a first-year student at UM and Caroline, an Ole Miss alumna.
To support the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics with a gift to the Forward Together campaign, contact Matt Mossberg at mossberg@olemiss.edu, call 662-915-7159 or visit http://givetoathletics.com/forward-together/.