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Helping Transform the Lives of El Paso’s Own

DAVID H. LINDAU’S commitment to The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) reflects his belief that education can transform lives. “It changed my life,” he says.

After graduating from high school in El Paso, Lindau had some money saved for college, but it wasn’t enough to enable him to choose a school in another town or state. Looking back, he now recognizes that the opportunity to earn an outstanding education in his own hometown was an immense factor in his future success.

Lindau earned his B.B.A. in accounting from Texas Western College (now UTEP) in 1961. In 1963, he earned his master’s degree in professional accounting from UT Austin. A year later, Lindau was hired by the Lauterbach Financial Group in El Paso, where he worked primarily with closely held businesses, applying his knowledge and experience in auditing, accounting, and tax and business consulting.

In 1999, Lauterbach Financial Advisors was founded and Lindau served as president for more than 10 years. Today, Lauterbach Financial Advisors manages more than $160 million in assets in the Paso del Norte region. Lindau currently works for Lauterbach as a financial advisor, continuing what he says has “always been a service business.” Lindau added that one of the biggest rewards of his work has been “being able to help people with their problems.”

That strong drive to help others led Lindau to invest in UTEP’s capacity to transform the lives of students whose financial circumstances make it difficult for them to pursue higher education. As chair of the Gift Planning Committee on UTEP’s Development Board, Lindau has led by example, recently arranging his own planned gift in support of UTEP. That gift will supplement one of three permanent endowments Lindau has established since 2005 in tribute to loved ones. Each endowment aims to encourage UTEP students to achieve their academic goals:

• The Guille M. Lindau Endowed Scholarship in Nursing was established in 2011 in honor of Lindau’s wife. It provides UTEP nursing students with opportunities to develop outstanding practical and research skills that will enhance their professional qualifications. Lindau explains that his wife, too, “understands the benefit of education and how it can change people’s lives.”
• In 2009, Lindau established The Fred G. Lindau Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Engineering in honor of his older brother, who, Lindau said, “turned out to be an engineer of sorts even though he didn’t have any formal training.” This permanent endowment provides scholarships to engineering students in need of financial assistance.
• The David and Guille Lindau Endowed Scholarship, established in 2006, awards scholarships to UTEP students, regardless of major, who need financial assistance to attend UTEP on a full-time basis, helping them to earn their degrees in a timely manner.

Lindau says he is proud of all that UTEP has done for the Paso del Norte region--achievements that were recognized recently by Washington Monthly’s online College Guide. In December 2012, UTEP was ranked 12th among all U.S. research universities for its impact on students, the surrounding region and the nation.

University Development      /      givingto@utep.edu      /      (915) 747-8533