After 3-year vacancy, WSU Foundation searches for CEO

From staff reports

The WSU Foundation has embarked on a national search to fill a position left vacant for more than three and a half years.

The CEO of the WSU Foundation and assistant vice president of university development are two parts of the same position – with leadership roles in both the Foundation and the university’s council.

The position, previously held by Brenda Wilson-Hale, was left vacant to “alleviate demand on the budget” during the financial crisis, said Judy Rogers, vice president of the WSU Foundation and chair of the WSU Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Wilson-Hale earned a base salary of $262,500 when she left.

He responsibilities included but were not limited to campaign planning, board relations, donor relations, communications, investment management, and advancement services.

In spring 2010, Wilson-Hale, who is currently a senior consultant in New York, left WSU to join Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York as the vice president institute advancement, according to her LinkedIn.

President Elson S. Floyd and the WSU Foundation consider now an appropriate time to find an experienced leader to complete its $1 billion Campaign for WSU Endowment (now totaling more than $876.4 million) and to lead any strategic planning for future initiatives, said Rogers.

A search committee was created by President Floyd and the WSU Foundation’s Board of Governors committee consisting of key Foundation volunteers and staff leaders, said Rogers.

With this committee, the university hired Florida-based national search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates Inc. to partner with the WSU Foundation Board, Floyd and Rogers, who was selected to chair the search committee.

To qualify for this position, a candidate should have a strong track record forging successful relationships with major donors and possess communication and presentation skills to be able to interact with diverse groups of people. The committee also wants someone who will also be able to hire, supervise and motivate staff to inspire superior performance.

Rogers said the board hopes to fill the vacant position by July 2014.

“This is a national search. The search committee is committed to recruiting and identifying the best possible candidate to fill this position,” said Rogers.