CASE Announces 2025 U.S.-Canada Award Winners: Dale Wright and Dr. Robert Garza Recognized for Outstanding Leadership and Service
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is pleased to announce that Dale Wright and Dr. Robert Garza have been named the recipients of the 2025 CASE Individual Achievement Awards for the U.S. and Canada. Dale Wright has been awarded the Frank L. Ashmore Distinguished Service Award, and Dr. Robert Garza has received the CASE Leadership Award. Both awards will be presented at the CASE Summit for Leaders in Advancement in New York City from 13–15 July 2025.
Dale Wright – 2025 Frank L. Ashmore Distinguished Service Award
The Frank L. Ashmore Distinguished Service Award honors advancement professionals whose leadership and service have made a significant and lasting impact on institutional advancement.
Dale Wright, Interim Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Interim Senior Vice President of the Foundation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), has been a leading figure in university advancement for over 26 years. Under his leadership, the With Illinois campaign raised $2.7 billion—exceeding its original goal of $2.25 billion—and helped strengthen alumni engagement and philanthropic support across the university.
Dale's impact extends beyond UIUC. He has served as a faculty member and speaker at over 22 CASE conferences, co-chaired two major CASE events, and contributed to the advancement field as a member of the CASE Commission on Philanthropy and a CASE Laureate. His excellence as a teacher and mentor was recognized with CASE’s Crystal Apple Award for teaching.
Dale played a key role in securing transformational gifts for UIUC, including a $100 million gift to name the Grainger College of Engineering, a $50 million to $112 million expansion of the Jump ARCHES partnership, and the launch of the IBM Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute—the largest corporate partnership in the college’s history. His strategic leadership has enhanced UIUC’s reputation as a national leader in engineering and innovation.
“Dale embodies the principles of servant leadership—generously sharing his knowledge and experience with the advancement community in a way that is both authentic and deeply heartfelt,” said Rashid Bashir, Dean of the Grainger College of Engineering. “That authenticity has earned him tremendous respect within the two universities he has served and among colleagues across the globe.”
Dr. Robert Garza – 2025 CASE Leadership Award
The CASE Leadership Award honors institutional leaders for their exceptional commitment to education and advancement.
As President of Palo Alto College (PAC), Dr. Robert Garza has driven significant growth in student enrollment and retention, particularly among underrepresented populations. Within his first year as president, he led Palo Alto College toward being named a Rising Star of the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges and celebrated the achievements of the Alamo Colleges District and its five colleges as a 2018 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner.
Most recently, Dr. Garza was recognized at the 2025 Quest for Excellence Conference with the prestigious Baldridge Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence in the education sector. His efforts to align academic programs with the needs of the local workforce have enhanced student success and has developed meaningful partnerships with many local San Antonio businesses. His work with the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce reinforces his commitment to promote high value employment opportunities for students and the community.
Also, Dr. Garza has made expanding educational access a core part of his leadership strategy. He spearheaded initiatives like Educate South, which promotes educational awareness from an early age, and has increased scholarship opportunities for students in the area. “Dr. Robert Garza embodies effective leadership through his unwavering dedication to education and community engagement,” said Jessica Dominguez, Executive Assistant to the President.
His contributions to Palo Alto College and the city of San Antonio are profound and far-reaching. By championing student success and fostering community partnerships, Dr. Garza has transformed countless lives and strengthened our community's fabric.
Dale Wright and Dr. Robert Garza embody the transformative power of leadership and advancement in the U.S. and Canada. Their achievements reflect the strength of strategic vision, innovation, and engagement in higher education. For more information about the CASE Summit for Leaders in Advancement and the Individual Achievement Awards, visit www.case.org.
About CASE
CASE—the Council for Advancement and Support of Education—is a global, not-for-profit membership association with a vision to advance education to transform lives and society.
CASE is the home for advancement professionals, inspiring, challenging, and equipping them to act effectively and with integrity to champion the success of their institutions. CASE defines the competencies and standards for the profession of advancement, leading, and championing their dissemination and application with more than 97,000 advancement professionals at 3,100 member institutions in 80 countries.
Broad and growing communities of professionals gather under the global CASE umbrella. Currently these include alumni relations, development services, communications, fundraising, government relations, and marketing. These professionals are at all stages of their careers and may be working in universities, schools, colleges, cultural institutions, or other not-for-profits. CASE uses the intellectual capital and professional talents of a community of international volunteers to advance its work, and its membership includes many educational partners who work closely with the educational sector.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CASE works across all continents from its regional offices in London, Singapore, and Mexico City to achieve a seamless experience for all its stakeholders, particularly its members, volunteers, and staff.