CWU Names New Senior Director Of Development

December 17, 2003

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- With experiences ranging from fund-raising work at a major research university to a small, college-prep school, Ralph K. Phillips brings a breadth and depth of experience to his new position as Central Washington University's senior director of development.

Dr. Paul Baker, CWU vice president of university relations, announced the hiring of Phillips, saying, "I'm very excited that he is joining the university relations team and will be helping us to advance the institution through our fund-raising efforts."

Phillips says, "This is the right size of school. I did not want to go to an extremely-large university and, coming from a small town, I wanted to stay in a small-town setting."

Since 1999, Phillips has served as director of development at Lowell Whiteman School, an independent boarding/day high school in Steamboat Springs, Colo., where he has directed the school's fund-raising efforts.

"I was ready to get back to a university setting," Phillips adds.

Phillips worked as the director of alumni affairs and associate director of development for the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah from 1991 to '96. After that, he spent three years as the major gifts officer at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, where his territory was primarily the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast, "so I am familiar with the state," he points out.

In addition, Phillips was the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, director of annual funds, from 1988 through '91; an alumni relations assistant while a graduate student at Colorado State University (CSU) in 1987; and Ohio University's assistant director of alumni relations from 1984 to '86.

Phillips actually started his fund-raising career as a student at Ohio University, where he was a founding member of its student-alumni foundation.

"I was able to see what the alumni association and development office did for the university," he points out. "What I like best about it is working one-on-one with people. And being able to connect the needs of the institution with the dreams and wishes of potential supporters and seeing those two come together."

Phillips is a 1980 graduate of Ohio University, with a bachelor's degree in organizational communication and minors in business and sociology. He also earned a master's degree in student affairs in higher education from CSU in 1987.

His community involvement includes volunteer work with Meals on Wheels and the Nature Conservancy. In addition, Phillips has served with the Utah Society of Fund Raisers and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

An outdoor enthusiast, Phillips has also worked as a backcountry river ranger for Dinosaur National Monument and a park ranger for the Rocky Mountain National Park.

"Coming from Colorado, we're used to seeing a lot of sunshine, so being on the dry side of the Cascades will be a positive for us," Phillips says of himself, his wife Darcy and son, Chayton, 2. "We are thrilled to be moving to Ellensburg. The lifestyle is a good match for us."

The CWU development director position has been vacant since September 2001. Phillips will begin his new responsibilities in mid-January.