Dear K-State family,
Today, I have bittersweet news to share with you. John Morris, senior vice president for development, will be leaving the KSU Foundation to accept an appointment as senior vice president for advancement at Auburn University. In this new position, John will orchestrate the transition to an advancement model and ultimately lead a combined organization for Auburn including the university’s Offices of Alumni Affairs, Development and Communications and Marketing. John’s last day with the KSU Foundation will be March 2.
Over the past five years, the KSU Foundation has set a gold standard in our industry for professional activity and performance, and John has been a driving force helping us to earn this acclaim. In that time, fundraising commitments to K-State grew by more than 40 percent, and we surpassed our Innovation and Inspiration Campaign’s $1.4 billion goal ahead of schedule by more than $200 million. At the same time, our average number of annual $1 million gifts grew from 21 to more than 40.
John has done much to advance the KSU Foundation’s commitment to partnerships across the campus, developing strong relationships with campus leaders, deans, department heads, faculty, staff and students to advance a culture of philanthropy at K-State. Maintaining these relationships remains central to our mission, and the KSU Foundation is committed to building upon these ties, now and in the future.
Please join me in reaching out to John to share your appreciation for his commendable service at the KSU Foundation and congratulate him on his new opportunity.
Sincerely,
Greg Willems
President and CEO
