WSU is beginning a national search for a new university advancement vice president and WSU Foundation chief executive officer.

John Gardner worked at WSU for 10 years and served as the vice president and CEO since 2014. Gardner is leaving the WSU Foundation but is remaining at the university.

“WSU has played a special role in my life over the past decade” Gardner stated in a WSU news release. “To me, WSU represents something larger than self, longer than life.”

WSU recorded several advancement achievements under Gardner’s direction, according to the release. The WSU Alumni Association doubled its membership since 2004. The “Because the World Needs Big Ideas” campaign passed its $1 billion goal in the summer of 2015 in which there were more than 206,000 donors.

Once Gardner’s successor is hired he will begin working on several high-profile WSU activities, according to the release. He will work with the Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment (ASCENT) to create science-based solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the aviation industry.

The search committee for the hiring process consists of 21 members and an executive search firm will assist during the process, according to the release.

Reporting by Jared Churchill