A Pentaspider Family
Alums Hilary and Skip Maner honor family legacy through giving, volunteerism
University of Richmond’s 2024 Commencement marked a very special occasion for Hilary Day Maner, W’89, and Skip Maner, R’89. It was the day they became a family of five Spider alumni with the graduation of their youngest child, Dean Maner, ’24.
A Michigan native, Skip found himself at UR after applying solely to colleges and universities on the East Coast. “I was the token Midwesterner on campus,” he laughed.
During his first year, he formed a close friendship with history professor Dr. Martin Ryle, who convinced Skip to major in history rather than business.
“He told me the best way to succeed in business is to learn how to think, write, and communicate, which are the foundations of a history education,” Skip said. “He was right – I’ve been applying those skills in a 30-year career since I graduated.” A seasoned entrepreneur and private equity investment professional, Skip is a general partner of private equity firm NewSpring and founder of its buyout strategy NewSpring Holdings.
An American Studies and sociology double major, Hilary worked for many years in marketing at a publishing firm. Though she and Skip knew of each other at UR, they didn’t officially “meet” until two years after they graduated. They began dating soon after.
Today, the couple resides in Philadelphia. In addition to Dean, their daughters, Ally, ’21, and Perry, ’23, are also UR graduates. “Richmond gave our kids everything we could have asked for. If we had three more, we would hope they would go there as well,” Skip laughed.
The couple has remained deeply engaged with UR as compassionate volunteers and donors. In addition to their loyal annual giving, they have generously supported the UR Summer Fellowships program and the recent renovation of Malcolm U. Pitt Field, home of the Spider baseball team. In recognition of their giving to the UR Well-Being Center, they named the center’s Mojo Counseling Room in honor of their family dog.
This year, they established the Maner Family Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a UR student with demonstrated financial need from the Philadelphia area.
“It’s a way to honor our family’s legacy while continuing the work we do in our city to provide educational access for students from disadvantaged populations,” Hilary said.
The couple volunteered to lead their 35th Reunion committee this year and has served as admissions ambassadors at various UR events. As former members of the President’s Parent Leadership Council (PPLC), they hosted several Welcome to the Web summer social events in Philadelphia to connect incoming and current Spider families.
At NewSpring, Skip has even hired several Spider graduates as interns and full-time employees. “UR alumni are very well-rounded individuals,” he said. “They have great social and intellectual skills that are important in my world of business.”
Moving forward, the couple intends to remain engaged with UR in ways that continue to benefit the Spider community.
“We’re fortunate to have had our whole family attend Richmond,” Hilary said. “The school seems to grow and improve every year, and we’re happy to do our part to help continue its journey.”
Learn more about the PPLC by contacting Nancy Stansbery, director of parent giving, at nstansbe@richmond.edu.