The main fundraising arm of the University of Wisconsin will be undergoing a change in leadership as the UW Foundation’s president announced his retirement Friday at the organization’s board of directors meeting.
President Sandy Wilcox’s early announcement will provide a generous amount of time to establish a search committee to hire a new president.
“With a new administration coming into the university, [the board of directors] would like to have leadership at the foundation that would last through Biddy Martin’s tenure,” said Russ Howes, vice president of Legal Affairs and Planned Giving at the foundation.
In the last 21 years, the foundation has experienced significant improvements. Employee personnel has grown six to seven times, and fundraising to support the university has increased from $27 million to $130 million, according to Howes.
Howes added Wilcox has played a tremendous role in outreach to alumni and friends of UW and done incredible amounts of significant fundraising.
Wilcox said he feels fortunate to have had this position for the past couple of decades. Many of the private funds that were raised during his tenure were used to build numerous campus buildings such as Engineering Hall, Grainger Hall, the Chazen Art Museum and the new medical campus.
“The beauty of this job is that you don’t deal with a lot of unpleasant people,” Wilcox said.
The global economic crisis has been taking a toll on the UW Foundation, which is starting to feel a cutback in investments, Wilcox said.
Given the current economic state of affairs, Wilcox said the time when things will pick up at the foundation is uncertain.
He added the gift flow is slow, but it should pick up as people become more confident. Most money donated in the future will go toward need-based financial aid.
The amount needed to be raised for the future aid endowment is $250 million. Wilcox said alumni are not in the habit of giving for need-based aid, thus it will be a new endeavor for the foundation.
The past 20 years have earned Wilcox a tremendous amount of respect and admiration from his colleagues, according to Bonnie Schumacher, UW Foundation vice president of administration.
“He’s been marvelous to work for. … He’s honest, fair and cares much about his employees. We’ve had a great time,” Schumacher said. “We depend on public trust and confidence in everything that we’re doing and that everything is done to the complete highest standards. People are trusting us to take care of their money, and no one would ever question that [Wilcox] insists this ethic.”
Wilcox will officially end his tenure in December 2010. In the next 15 months, the search committee will work hard to ensure they find someone to fill the position. Howes doubts there will be an interim president; he hopes they will find someone to assume the position when Wilcox leaves next year.