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    CASE Commonfund College and University Foundation Award

    The CASE Commonfund College and University Foundation Award recognize individuals who have made valuable contributions through best practices, distinguished service and/or volunteer leadership to the college and university foundation field. The award is presented each year at the annual CASE Conference for College and University Foundations.

    The award is supported by a gift from Commonfund, which enhances the financial resources of educational and other nonprofit institutions through fund management, investment advice, and treasury operations.

    If you have any questions, please contact Ann Snyder, Senior Director of Communities Engagement. 

    Nomination and Selection Process

    Senior leaders responsible for the day-to-day management of two-year and four-year college and university foundations (CEOs, CFOs, COOs, Counsels, Heads of Foundation, etc.) are eligible to receive the award.

    Please enter through the online system. 

    If you have any questions, please contact Ann Snyder, Senior Director of Communities Engagement.

    Include in the nomination package:

    • A complete entry form by the official nominator (self-nominations will not be accepted) answering entry questions. Each question has a 4,000 character limit.
    • How long has the nominee worked in the college and university foundation field?
    • Describe the nominee's leadership and accomplishments at his/her foundation. How has he/she made a difference to his/her foundation?
    • What contributions has the nominee made to the entire college and university foundation field and to professional associations? (leadership roles, contributions to professional meetings, publications and research, etc.)
    • Please provide further information on the nominee's qualifications for this award.

    The applicant also will be asked to upload the following:

    • A curriculum vitae that provides a concise summary of the individual's education, college and university foundation experience, relevant awards, publications and other significant contributions (information may be summarized using a biographical format but should focus on foundation experience).
    • Letter from nominee's host institution president/chancellor OR foundation board chair speaking to the nominee's impact on the foundation and host institution. A letter from the foundation CEO or executive director can be substituted for nominated CFOs, COOs, counsels or other senior leaders.

    The selection committee consists of prior award winners and members of the CASE Committee for College and University Foundations.

    After the deadline, the selection committee reviews the nominations. After the initial review, judges may request supplemental materials.

    Judges look for an extraordinary individual who has demonstrated initiative and innovation and who have made valuable contributions to the foundation field. Judges look for:

    • Exemplary programs, practices and policies that could be adapted by other college and university foundations,

    • Leadership roles in professional associations and contributions to professional meetings, publications and research,

    • Innovative approaches to management challenges faced by college and university foundations,

    • Advocacy regarding issues of vital importance to foundations and

    • Leadership in professional ethics and accountability.

    Recent Winners

    Sharon Beales
    2022

    Sharon Beales

    Vice President, Institutional Advancement and Executive Director, Northampton Community College Foundation

    Sharon Beales, who has more than 20 years of experience in fundraising leadership, joined Northampton Community College in 2014 as Vice President of Institutional Advancement. A few of her many accomplishments at Northampton Community College include growing the endowment from $40 to $65 million, growing programming and private foundation revenue, and conducting the college’s first Giving Day in fall of 2019 and exceeding their goal of $50,000 to raise $76,348 from 623 donors.

    Jeff Mills
    2022

    Jeffrey Mills, PhD

    President and CEO, University of Maine Foundation

    Mills, who has more than 29 years in educational advancement, was appointed to the University of Maine Foundation in 2012 as the President and CEO after serving previously as the Vice President of University Advancement and President and CEO of the University of Maine Alumni Association from 2002 to2005. Highlights of his accomplishments at the University of Maine Foundation include the launch of a comprehensive giving campaign with a $200 million goal, ending the campaign with over $208 million raised. The campaign also increased fundraising to an all-time high average of $36 million and secured the largest capital campaign gift in university history. Additionally, Mills launched the faculty, staff and administration giving campaign, which raised more than $1.2 million this past year.

    Vita Pickrum, Ed.D, CFRE
    2021

    Vita Pickrum

    Vice President of the Division of Institutional Advancement, Delaware State University, Delaware State University

    Dr. Vita Pickrum joined Delaware State University in 2008 and serves multiple roles including as the Vice President of the Division of Institutional Advancement, the President of the Delaware State University Foundation, and as of January 2020, Chair of the 12th President’s Transition Team. She is responsible for overseeing all private fundraising for the University, alumni relations, development, and donor relations. Under her leadership, both private fundraising and alumni participation have substantially increased.

    Clark Cropp
    2020

    Clark Cropp

    Senior Vice President, Kansas University Endowment Association

    Clark Cropp began his career at KU Endowment as assistant director of gift planning in 1987. He became director of gift planning in 1990. During his directorship, he developed comprehensive financial output reports from design to documentation. He wrote KU Endowment’s original gift overview booklet, initiated and designed new financial reports for charitable remainder trust donors and beneficiaries, and developed the Elizabeth Watkins deferred gift recognition society.

    Michael Morsberger
    2020

    Michael J. Morsberger

    Chief Executive Officer, University of Central Florida Foundation

    Michael Morsberger came to the UCF Foundation in 2015, where he oversees management of a $175M endowment and a diverse portfolio of assets. When Morsberger arrived at UCF, after leading development teams at five major universities – public and private, the university was in the fourth year of its most comprehensive capital campaign, with a goal of $500 million. Morsberger reorganized and united the advancement team, led Foundation board members to deepen their commitments to the university and created a culture of giving that continues today. The campaign successfully closed in 2019 with over $531.5 million raised in gifts and commitments and a new downtown campus built with philanthropic, university and state funds.

    Dr. Barbara Breier
    2019

    Dr. Barbara Breier

    Vice President for University Advancement/ Executive Director of Texas State Development Foundation, Texas State University

    Dr. Breier has led many transformative initiatives for Texas State University and the Texas State University Development Foundation.  Under her leadership, the university completed the Pride in Action Campaign in, which exceeded its $110 million goal by raising $152 million in support of the university. Recognizing the need to improve oversight of endowment funds and stewardship of endowment donors, Dr. Breier worked with the Provost and academic leadership to establish an “endowment compliance” program which has significantly increased utilization of available endowment funds in support of university priorities, from 64% in FY2013 to 95% in FY2017, and established an annual audit of endowments to ensure alignment of endowment expenditures with donor intent.

    Dexter A. Bailey, Jr
    2019

    Dexter A. Bailey, Jr

    Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations, The California Institute of Technology

    Dexter’s career in higher education began 23 years ago in 1995.  Since then he has been both directly and as a manager responsible for raising over $900 million and counting. Executive Director of the Stony Brook Foundation and Senior Vice President of the Advancement Department, Dexter Bailey has had an incredibly deep and meaningful impact on Stony Brook.

    All Winners

    2019

    Dexter Bailey, Senior Vice President for University Advancement, Stony Brook University
    Barbara Breier, Vice President University Advancement/Executive Director of Texas State Development Foundation

    2018

    Lisa Gibert, Chief Executive Officer, Clark College Foundation
    Tiffani K. Shaw, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, University of Iowa Center for Advancement

    2017

    Lynette Marshall, President and CEO, University of Iowa Foundation
    Donna Vuchinich, President and CEO, University of Hawaii Foundation

    2016

    Lisa Eslinger, Senior Vice President of Finance & Operations, Iowa State University Foundation
    Dr. Kimberly A Russell, Chancellor, Louisiana State University at Eunice

    2015

    James H. Moore Jr., president and chief executive officer, University of Arizona Foundation
    Diane L. Shoger, executive director, Monroe Community College Foundation

    2014

    Leonard Raley, president and chief executive officer, University System of Maryland Foundation

    2013

    J. Michael Goodwin, president and chief executive officer, Oregon State University Foundation 
    James C. Miller, president and chief executive officer of the North Dakota State University Development Foundation

    2012

    John B. Carter Jr., president and chief operating officer of Georgia Tech Foundation
    Betheny L. Reid, president of the Dallas County Community College District Foundation

    2011

    Lisa Heise, controller, Great Basin College Foundation
    John R. Stropp, former president, University of New Mexico Foundation

    2010

    Thomas J. Mitchell, president, University of California, Irvine Foundation
    Andrew A. "Sandy" Wilcox, president, University of Wisconsin Foundation

    2009

    Elizabeth King, president and CEO, Wichita State University Foundation
    Rickey McCurry, chief executive officer, Southern Illinois University Foundation

    2008

    Ed Davis, president, Texas A&M University Foundation
    Susan Kubik, executive director, Northampton Community College Foundation

    2007

    Brenda Babitz, president, Monroe Community College Foundation
    Leslie Bram, associate vice president and chief operating officer, University of Florida Foundation
    F. Duke Perry, retired president and chief executive officer, West Virginia University Foundation

    2006

    Gerald Fischer, president and CEO, University of Minnesota Foundation
    Karen MacArthur, executive director, Delta College Foundation

    2005

    David W. Bahlmann, president and chief executive officer, Ball State University Foundation

    2004

    Brad Choate, president and chief executive officer, Minnesota Medical Foundation at the University of Minnesota
    James Lanier Jr., president, East Carolina University Foundation
    Russell M. Robinson II, chairman, University of North Carolina Charlotte Foundation

    2003

    Amos Orcutt, president, University of Maine Foundation
    Cheryle Mitvalsky, vice president, resource development, Kirkwood Community College Foundation
    Joseph F. Phelan, consultant, Newmarket, New Hampshire

    2002

    John K. Martin, president and chief executive officer, University of Maryland Foundation
    Julia Kilduff, executive director, Lewis and Clark Community College Foundation
    James W. Leslie, former executive director, University of Rhode Island Foundation

    2001

    Curtis R. Simic, president, Indiana University Foundation
    John E. Clinton, executive vice president and chief executive, Shippensburg University Foundation
    Eric B. Wentworth, former director of the National Clearinghouse for Institutionally Related Foundations, CASE

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