UW News

July 31, 2000

UW names Nancy Wells vice president for development and alumni relations

News and Information

Nancy L. Wells, currently associate vice president and director of university development at Stanford University, has been named vice president for development and alumni relations at the University of Washington by UW President Richard L. McCormick.

The appointment will be effective Oct. 1, subject to approval by the Board of Regents.

“Nancy Wells brings a wealth of experience, fundraising creativity and tremendous leadership skills to this critically important position at the University,” said McCormick. “Private fundraising pushes the University’s margin of excellence forward, and philanthropy will continue to play an increasingly important role in the University’s future. I am very pleased that Nancy will be here to lead our ambitious plans for the University and for fostering even greater support for the University from our alumni.”

In her most recent position at Stanford, Wells led a group of senior university central development managers. She had overall responsibility for the performance and strategic direction of seven units with a total of 110 employees.

Wells began at Stanford in 1992 as a regional major gifts officer with responsibility for the East Coast. From 1994 to 1996 she managed the university’s high-end annual and reunion giving programs, and later became founding director of The Stanford Fund for Undergraduate Education. In 1998, after completing a second major gifts assignment working with prospects and donors on the East Coast and in Europe, Wells was appointed director of major gifts, a position she held until her current assignment.

Wells has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (formerly North Adams State College) in 1976 and a master’s degree in education from Indiana University in 1979.

The University of Washington’s development program is one of the most successful among America’s public universities. In the most recent fiscal year ended June 30, the UW raised over $134 million from more than 112,000 separate gifts. Including privately-funded grants for research, the UW ranked among the top five public universities in the nation in total giving in 1998-99, the most recent year for which data are available.

Her salary will be $245,000.