Mary Ellen Gillespie

Position:
Director of Major Gifts
Class:
Redshirt Freshman

Bowling Green State University Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Greg Christopher has announced that Mary Ellen Gillespie has been named Director of Major Gifts for Intercollegiate Athletics and will work on the program[apos]s behalf in the BGSU Foundation. [quote]Mary Ellen has a proven track record and will be a great addition to our external relations team,[quote] said Christopher. [quote]Her energy and enthusiasm will help us reach aggressive goals as we position BGSU to continue to be a leader among MAC schools in the future.[quote] Gillespie, a native of Sayville, N.Y., comes to BGSU from Purdue University where she was the Director of Development for the Schools of Nursing and Health Sciences. Under her direction, she was able to cultivate, solicit and steward major gift donors within the seven-year, $1.5 billion comprehensive campaign structure, raising over $5 million in fourteen months during her tenure. [quote]I have been a lifelong sports fan and I am excited to have the opportunity to work with an intercollegiate athletic program with such rich history and tradition.[quote] said Gillespie. I strongly believe in the concept of the student-athlete and competition and what it does to bring the student body and University community together.[quote] Prior to her position at Purdue, Gillespie served as Vice President of Advancement for the North-American Interfraternity Conference in Indianapolis from 2000-2005. She also was Assistant Director of Student Life at the University of Iowa from 1998 to 2000 and served as Coordinator of Greek Affairs and Off-Campus Concerns at Plattsburgh State University of New York. She earned her bachelors degree in speech communication from Plattsburgh State in 1994 and her masters in counseling-student affairs practice from the same institution in 1997. She also earned a certificate in fund raising management from the Indiana University Fund Raising School in May of 2002. During her time in Indianapolis, she was heavily involved as a volunteer for the Indiana Sports Corporation. She served as a team host for the 2005 first and second rounds of the NCAA Men[apos]s Basketball Tournament and was part of the greeting and information team for the Big Ten when they held their basketball tournaments in Indianapolis. Gillespie also was a host for the NCAA Woman Athlete of the Year in 2003 and 2004. [quote]I look forward to being part of the team that will work to advance our program by ensuring that our student-athletes have the scholarships necessary to enhance their educational and athletic experiences, as well as the best, state of the art facilities.[quote] added Gillespie.