University of Maryland Athletics

Scott Weitz joined the Terrapin Club after graduating from the University of Maryland in 1990 and has been a member for 31 years. The past few years, he has chaired the Donor Acquisition and Stewardship Committee; he also held the role of Vice President and President Elect.

Weitz is an avid Maryland sports fan and supporter. While in school, he attended both football and basketball games and has continued to attend as many Maryland sporting events and functions as possible. Alongside his involvement with the Athletic department, Weitz is the owner of Weitz Financial Group, LLC. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, boating and relaxing at the beach. Weitz and his wife, who are both Maryland graduates, have three children; their son recently graduated from Yale University, their daughter is a rising senior at the University of Maryland and a member of the Maryland Dance Team, and their youngest daughter is attending the University of Maryland in the Fall.

Weitz wants all alumni and prospective Terrapin Club members to know that if you’re a Maryland fan, you need to join the Terrapin Club. “Facility tours, players' and coaches’ experiences, be a recruit for a day, movies on the football field, Terrapin Club Plus, the new Restaurant Discount Program, Backstage Pass experiences and so much more; there has never been a better time to become a Terrapin Club member.” Weitz will forever cherish the memories he has made at Maryland and he is looking forward to seeing everyone tailgating this upcoming fall!

Andy Fox initially joined the Terrapin Club in order to have the opportunity to purchase basketball season tickets, but has since been a member for 35+ years in order to give back to the University. He currently is Vice President and serves on the New Generation Committee and is co-chair on the Outreach Committee.

Fox and his wife, who are both Maryland graduates, have two children. In addition to going to Maryland games, they enjoy traveling and spending time with family. He urges Maryland alumni to join the Terrapin Club because it has allowed him the opportunity to belong to a dedicated community of Terp fans. “It is also a great time to join as we have launched several new initiatives in the past year such as Terrapin Club plus, Backstage Pass and the restaurant discount program.”

The Fox family are some of the university’s most loyal supporters, and have even established an endowment to support student-athlete scholarships in perpetuity.

Ever since visiting her older sister at the University of Maryland, Linh Nguyen has had a profound love for College Park. She always dreamt of being a Terp. It wasn’t long before the dining hall food, the La Plata dorm experience and the Maryland sporting events stole the seven year old’s heart and Nguyen thanks her sister to this day for introducing her to the university that will forever hold a special place in her heart.

Nguyen has been a member of the Terrapin Club for 14 years now. “You get to see the program from a different vantage point and experience the behind the scenes magic needed to make it run.” She currently chairs the Executive Committee and Nominating & Board Development Committee as President. In the past, she has had the opportunity to chair the committee on the New Generation of donors, specifically targeting young alumni and students.

Nguyen has a four-year-old chocolate lab named Cole, who is named after the historic Cole Field House. His godfathers are Gary Williams and Sasho Cirovski.

Her love for the Terrapin Club and giving back to the university is like none other after seeing the direct impact she is having on student-athletes. “You’re changing lives. Maryland is a family; all of the staff, coaches, student-athletes and fans are cheering each other on and are there for the good times and the bad.” She references how connected she feels with the community even during the pandemic through calls, emails and virtual events. She encourages all Terp fans to join the Terrapin Club and experience all the fun and rewarding moments for themselves.

Jim Diercksen has been following Maryland football and basketball since before attending the university, but after becoming a Terp himself, he has fallen deeper in love with Maryland and all things Terps athletics. In hopes to stay involved with Maryland after graduation, Diercksen joined the Terrapin Club in order to help improve the program and has been a member since 2003.

Diercksen is the current Managing Director at ACA group. He and his wife, Jenn, both Maryland alum, have an eight-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter; they all currently live in Ellicott City, MD. As a family, they love going to as many Maryland sporting events as possible. He also enjoys traveling, spending time at the beach in Ocean City, and golfing.

To all potential fans interested in joining the Terrapin Club, Diercksen suggests to get involved in any level you can. “The more members we have, the bigger difference we can make and the better we can make the program.”

After partnering with Terrapin Club during his time as president of the Montgomery County Alumni network for 20 years, John Fineran just had to become a Terrapin Club member.

Fineran graduated from University of Maryland in 1991. He grew up going to football games as his Mom worked on campus since 1976. He now serves on the Donor Acquisition and Stewardship Committee. In addition to the time he dedicates to Maryland Athletics, Fineran is CEO and President of FinTel Communications, a web design and hosting company. He is also a member at the University of Maryland Golf Course and enjoys traveling and the beach. He loves any University of Maryland sporting event and does his best to attend at least one event from every sport each year.

“Our Terrapin sports teams can’t be great if we don’t have the money for scholarships to give our student-athletes who want to represent our school and compete for our University,” Fineran mentions. He encourages all Terps to get involved because without loyal Terrapin Club members, we wouldn’t be able to recruit these fantastic student athletes.

Kevin Nawrocki joined the Terrapin Club shortly after graduating from the Robert H. Smith School of Business in the Spring of 1999. He is currently co-chair of the Donor Acquisition and Stewardship Committee.

Kevin’s lifelong fandom for Maryland athletics began by attending campus games and events with his father and brother, both of whom are also proud Maryland Alumni. As an undergraduate, Kevin proudly served as a manager for the Men’s Basketball team. Following graduation, he joined the Terrapin Club in order to do his part to support student-athletes and programs that represent the University of which he’s so proud.

Kevin has enjoyed a 20+ year sales career in sports. He has been a part of the front offices of the Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals and the Washington Capitals, but he is most proud of his affiliation with the University of Maryland. He likes to spend as much time as possible with his wife Brigid (UMD Alum ’00), his daughter Jane (13), and son Bennett (11). They enjoy going to events in and outside the Washington D.C. area. He also enjoys traveling, reading and exercising on a regular basis.

The former Terp believes that funding is needed for our University to reach the level of greatness we want to see and needs donations to compete with the rest of B1G. “Play a larger role than you already do as an advocate and supporter of University of Maryland Athletics and our great student-athletes. Show your Maryland pride and join the Terrapin Club!”

M Club President, Angie Perry, joined the Terrapin Club Board of Directors in 2021. Perry grew up going to Cole Field House with her dad before attending the University of Maryland as a student. She was a student manager with the Maryland Football team from 1982-1986 and was the first female student manager for a Division I program.

After getting involved with the M Club after graduation, Perry knew she had to become a part of the Terrapin Club community and joined as a member six years ago.

Perry is currently the Director of Communications for an infrastructure engineering firm, Hardesty & Hanover. In her spare time, she enjoys watching Maryland sports, volunteering for the PGA, and spending time with her son, who is also a University of Maryland graduate ('18).

“If you are on the fence, take a look at the “Impact of a Scholarship” stories.” Perry insists that all Terp fans should give these unique and personal stories a read as they give you all you need to know about why you should support the Terrapin Club.

When Karel Petraitis’ parents moved from Illinois, they adopted the University of Maryland as “their school” and instilled in Karel a love for the University. Therefore, it was only natural for her to continue the membership that her father started with the Terrapin Club.

Ms. Petraitis is an attorney in College Park in a solo practice. She is on the Advisory Committee for the Babe Ruth Museum and is the Past President of the Prince George's County Alumni Network. She is an avid fan of Maryland sporting events and is involved with several athletic booster groups for the University. In her free time, Karel enjoys gardening and decorating her home and yard for every holiday.

As a long-time member of the Terrapin Club, Ms. Petraitis has had the opportunity to share her love for athletics as well as supporting deserving student-athletes. The Terrapin Club is an amazing community which Karel hopes every Terp fan can enjoy and be involved in its activities.

Robin Batleman Savitz’s love for the University of Maryland has only grown after years of donor support and Terrapin Club Ambassadorship following her undergraduate volunteering for the Athletic Department.

Savitz was always a sports fan, so it was very easy for her to become a Maryland Terrapins fan. She feels especially connected to the student-athletes because of their efforts to represent our university and the state so proudly all while earning degrees. This past year, Savitz has served on two committees, New Generation and Alumni Outreach Committee.

In addition to her involvement with the Terrapin Club, Savitz enjoys photography, live concerts, beach walks anywhere, cracking crabs and working on her high school reunion committee.

After jumping in at age 25 and donating at the highest level she could handle, Savitz recommends contributing to Maryland Athletics as soon as you can. “There’s never been a moment’s regret. Everyday, it’s a gift that’s given back; it’s also a bonus to attend whatever athletic events I choose.”