January 14, 2010
McCurry is chair-elect for CASE District V board
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Rickey N. McCurry, vice chancellor for institutional advancement and chief executive officer of the SIU Foundation, has been elected chair-elect of the CASE District V Board of Directors. Upon receiving a committee nomination, McCurry was elected by District V member institutions. He will serve a two-year term as chair-elect and will, subsequently, chair the board.
“I am honored to serve in a pertinent role for a respected organization like CASE,” McCurry says. “More importantly, I sincerely appreciate my peers in District V who exhibited this confidence in me. I look forward to representing our member schools to the best of my ability.”
McCurry has served as vice chancellor for institutional advancement and Foundation CEO at SIU Carbondale since 2000. Under his leadership, Southern’s endowment has grown from $42 million to $85 million, and, the University completed its first comprehensive campaign in June 2008, surpassing its $100 million goal by $6 million.
McCurry is credited with building a strong relationship between the University and its foundation, which has created stronger teamwork between departments and a broader understanding of fundraising. He has also worked closely with the university’s board and encouraged members to interact with foundation directors to identify best practices.
The Humboldt, Tenn., native oversees the activities of the SIU Foundation, the SIU Alumni Association, Constituent Relations and Special Events, and Advancement Services. Prior to joining Southern Illinois University, McCurry served as associate vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs, and campaign director at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has been in the advancement profession for 25 years.
McCurry was a recipient of the CASE Commonfund Institutionally Related Foundation award in March. He was one of two educational foundation leaders receiving the honor, cited for extraordinary contributions and longtime support of their foundations and the overall profession. In addition, he serves on the CASE International Commission on Philanthropy.
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is a professional association serving educational institutions and advancement professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, and marketing. The organization assists its members with various activities, including enhancing their relationships with alumni and donors, producing recruitment materials and marketing to prospective students, and fostering public support of education.
CASE, one of the world’s largest nonprofit education associations, includes nearly 3,400 college and universities, primary and secondary independent and international schools, and nonprofit organizations in 59 countries. It serves more than 61,500 advancement professionals on the staffs of member institutions.
CASE in North America is divided into eight regional districts. Each district has a volunteer board of directors to oversee operations, programming, and services for members in that region. District V, for which McCurry is serving, is comprised of institutions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
For more information, visit www.case.org.