Following an extensive and highly competitive national search, University of Puget Sound President Ronald R. Thomas and Board Chair Deanna Oppenheimer have announced the appointment of David Beers as vice president for university relations.
Widely regarded as one of the countrys rising university development professionals, Beers comes to Puget Sound from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where he served as assistant vice president for college relations and director of development, and was responsible for the management of the colleges upcoming $235 million comprehensive capital campaign. During his 18 years in educational advancement, Beers has also held key positions with Colby-Sawyer College, Worcester Academy, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Dave Beers is a great talent, Thomas said. He brings a remarkable record of accomplishment in annual fundraising, staff development, and campaign planning and execution. I am delighted he will be joining our leadership team at a strategic moment and am confident he will play a key role in Puget Sounds continued advancement and success.
Beers emerged from a field of 74 candidates, including many sitting vice presidents at other universities. Candidates represented 26 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. Beers was one of five finalists brought to campus for interviews with administrators, staff, faculty, and trustees.
The trustees who met Dave were impressed by his thoughtfulness as well as his keen analytical skills, said Oppenheimer, a 1980 Puget Sound alumna. He will be a great addition to both Puget Sound and the broader community, and the board looks forward to working with him as we continue to advance our reputation as one of the countrys finest national liberal arts colleges.
I am delighted and honored to be joining the University of Puget Sound, said Beers, who will be moving to Tacoma next month with his wife, Nancy, and daughter Carol. I look forward to working with President Thomas, the Board of Trustees, the university’s senior management team, and the professionals in the Office of University Relations to advance Puget Sound’s important mission. Nancy, Carol, and I are also very pleased to have the opportunity to become members of the greater Tacoma community.
Beers assumes his role at Puget Sound on Sept. 6, 2005, and will head a successful and grow-ing university relations division responsible for creating, implementing, and evaluating strategies for all advancement activities, including annual giving, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, stewardship and donor relations, alumni programs, and advancement services. He will be closely involved in implementation of the new Tapestry of Learning campus master plan, which includes construction of Harned Hall, the universitys new science laboratory building; an integrated health sciences center; improvements to athletic facilities; a new alumni center; and other physical improvements designed to support the universitys academic mission.
Beers is a member of the national honor society Phi Beta Kappa, and holds a bachelor of arts degree with a major in history from Colby College.
Founded in 1888, the University of Puget Sound is one of only five national liberal arts colleges in the Pacific Northwest and the only one in western Washington. Its 2,600 undergraduates, drawn from nearly every state and 16 foreign countries, work closely with 212 full-time faculty and are highly engaged on campus in more than 70 student-led organizations, and in the community, with more than 75 percent volunteering for community service each year. Puget Sound hosts chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi and its graduates have been regular recipients of Fulbright, Rotary, Watson, and other fellowships, including two Rhodes Scholarships.
