Institutional Advancement Staff

Scott McQuilkin
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
smcquilkin@whitworth.edu

Scott oversees all facets of fund-raising; donor records, stewardship and events; alumni, parent and church relations; and marketing and communications. 

A 1984 alum, Scott began his career at Whitworth as head baseball coach from 1985-90 and was appointed director of athletics in 1996. During his tenure, he expanded Whitworth’s athletics program to 20 intercollegiate sports, strengthened fund-raising efforts and outreach to supporters and significantly improved facilities.  A tenured professor, Scott has taught a number of courses and has been a member of the teaching team for Core 150, the first course in Whitworth’s acclaimed worldview studies program.

In fall 2009, Scott was asked to put his extensive campus and community leadership experience to work in the role of vice president for institutional advancement.  "My desire is to contribute to Whitworth in a new way," he says. "I am joining a wonderful team that has done great work. In the coming years we have major projects to complete so that Whitworth can continue to build upon the educational excellence our students currently enjoy. I am looking forward to sharing that vision with long-time and new friends of the university."

Tad Wisenor
Director of Campaign Planning
509.777.4401
twisenor@whitworth.edu

Tad was hired in late 2008 to serve as Whitworth's director of campaign planning, working with staff and volunteers to provide a framework and leadership for the university's primary fund-raising initiatives. Tad co-directed the public phase of Whitworth's Faith in the Future Campaign, which ended successfully in 2002 with donors giving $12M more than the $50M goal. 

After graduating from Whitworth in 1989, Tad returned in 1992 as assistant director of admissions. He became alumni director in 1996, and was given responsibility for parent relations in 2000 and annual giving and church relations in 2004. He also is an adjunct instructor in the department of communication studies, advising the Natsihi, Whitworth's yearbook. In 2004, Tad completed his master's degree in urban and regional planning at Eastern Washington University.

Tad loves being able to give back to the place that has given him so much; he hopes to help keep Whitworth's mission strong and vibrant for generations to come.

Nancy Rau
Associate Director, Donor Relations and
Special Events
509.777.4250
nrau@whitworth.edu

Nancy administers the major-gift stewardship and donor-recognition programs, special events, coordination of volunteers, and scholarships for the office of institutional advancement. Nancy came to Whitworth in 1987, serving in the continuing education department and the president's office before joining the institutional advancement team in 1999. Nancy is a 2001 graduate of the Whitworth Organizational Management Program. Nancy says Whitworth's mission has been a significant influence in helping her to achieve her goals and is something she seeks to integrate into her daily life.

Joan Durkoop
Associate Director of Advancement Services
509.777.4310
jdurkoop@whitworth.edu

Joan is responsible for the oversight and implementation of the research and prospect- management functions of institutional advancement to support fund-raising at Whitworth. Joan, a 1985 graduate of Eastern Washington University, previously provided prospect-research services to Gonzaga University School of Law and to the University of Idaho Foundation. Prior to her positions in the field of higher education, Joan served as the marketing- information coordinator at The Spokesman-Review and as a news producer at KHQ-TV, Channel 6, Spokane.

Nancy Kessler
Program Assistant for Special Events
509.777.3449
nkessler@whitworth.edu

Nancy assists in organizing special events and other activities to recognize and honor Whitworth's donors. She joined the department in 2006 after a long career as a public-school teacher and counselor. Nancy appreciates Whitworth's warm atmosphere and the opportunity to work with students and friends of the institution.

June Hanson
Assistant Director, Gift Processing and Information Systems
509.777.4343
jhanson@whitworth.edu

As part of Whitworth's advancement-services department, June processes gifts to the university and supports other donor-stewardship activities. The senior member of the advancement team, she began working in I.A. in 1990. She worked in education and banking before coming to Whitworth, attracted by the opportunity to interact with students in a Christian-education setting.

Aaron directs Whitworth's alumni and parent activities, with the goal of engaging alumni and parents of current and former students with the university. He also manages annual giving and special gifts and is involved in fund-raising for strategic university initiatives.

Aaron, a member of the Class of 1995, joined Whitworth in 2008. He served as area director for Young Life Greater Spokane from 1997 to 2002 and as regional director for Young Life Inland Northwest from 2002 to 2007. Most recently he oversaw Internet sales and information systems as a systems-support manager for DAA Northwest of Spokane, a large automobile dealers' auction business. Aaron earned his master's and Ph.D. from Gonzaga University in leadership studies.

Aaron is excited to have the opportunity to serve Whitworth's constituents and friends and to advance the university's mission of educating minds and hearts.

Elizabeth Strauch
Associate Director of Development for Annual Giving
509.777.4769
estrauch@whitworth.edu

Elizabeth works in conjunction with the advancement staff to implement strategies to increase annual giving. Her focus is to create a culture of giving among young alumni and current students through programs that benefit The Whitworth Fund. Her work includes building direct- mail pieces, overseeing operation of the Whitworth Phonathon, and related alumni events. Elizabeth graduated from Whitworth in May 2004 and is enjoying the opportunity to stay connected with fellow alumni while getting to know current students.

Josh Cleveland
Assistant Director, Alumni & Parent Relations
509.777.3732
jcleveland@whitworth.edu

Josh is a native of Bellevue, Wash., who graduated from Whitworth in 2001 with a B.A. in religion. He served in high school and college ministry at Covenant Presbyterian Church., in Austin, Texas, from 2001-04, studied at Princeton Theological Seminary from 2004-07, and received his master of divinity degree from Princeton in May 2007. He returned to Whitworth and served students as resident director in Arend Hall from 2007-09, and in East Hall from 2009-11. In addition to his work as resident director, Josh also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Core 150 and certification for ministry programs. He now supports Whitworth's mission by helping the university's diverse alumni and parents remain connected to their Whitworth community.

Kim Dawson
Program Coordinator, Annual Giving, Alumni, Parent & Church Relations
509.777.3772
kdawson@whitworth.edu

Kim assists alumni and parent-relations staff with programming and supports all aspects of the office. She joined the institutional-advancement team after working for 10 years with Whitworth's Off-Campus Studies Office. Previously, Kim worked for four years at Whitworth Community Presbyterian Church, where she served as assistant to current Whitworth trustee Jim Singleton, who was then WCPC's senior pastor.

Stacey Smith
Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement
509.777.4388
skammsmith@whitworth.edu

Stacey oversees Whitworth's major-gift program, corporate and foundation fund-raising and research. She also staffs the development committee of the Whitworth Board of Trustees as well as the university's Technology Advisory Committee. Prior to coming to Whitworth, Stacey worked in a variety of institutional-advancement roles at the University of Southern California during the silent phase and kickoff of the school's $1.2 billion campaign. As one of many members of her family who have attended or worked for Whitworth over the past several decades, Stacey was grateful to have the opportunity to return to Whitworth and support its mission of educating minds and hearts.

Janna Nicholson
Coordinator, Institutional Advancement
509.777.4350
jnicholson@whitworth.edu

Janna provides administrative support to the associate vice president and the director of campaign planning for institutional advancement. She joined the advancement team in August 2004, working first with the major gifts staff and more recently providing support for the vice president and director of campaign planning. Janna was attracted to Whitworth by the university's excellent reputation and by the opportunity to work in a Christian higher-education environment.

Holly Norton
Director of Development, Gift Planning/Major Gifts
509.777.4362
hnorton@whitworth.edu

Holly works with donors who would like to support Whitworth through outright gifts or who would like to establish bequests, charitable trusts or gift annuities through The Whitworth Foundation. She is the key contact for Whitworth alumni and friends in the Midwest, the Southeast, and portions of California, Oregon and Washington. Prior to becoming director of development, she served as associate director of The Whitworth Foundation. Holly has more than 15 years of experience in planned giving and higher-education fund-raising. Before coming to Whitworth in 2000, she served as the director of development services at Willamette University, in Salem, Ore., and worked in the office of university relations at Gonzaga University.

Maxine Lammers
Director of Development
509.777.4446
mlammers@whitworth.edu

Maxine’s primary responsibilities are corporate and foundation relations. She also works to achieve funding for various Whitworth initiatives and special projects. Maxine brings 20 years’ experience in grant-writing, fund-raising, and community relations to Whitworth, most recently as owner of Nonprofit Development Services. Her experience with more than 20 nonprofits, particularly faith-based organizations, has prepared her well for the mission-driven focus of her work at Whitworth. Prior to her nonprofit work, Maxine worked for nine years in the advertising profession; she worked in both Spokane and Los Angeles.

Jim Czirr
Director of Development
509.777.4605
jczirr@whitworth.edu

Jim was hired as director of development in 2010.  Prior to moving to institutional advancement, he served Whitworth for three years in the office of admissions, where he was part of a team that recruited the two largest incoming freshman classes in school history.

Jim is a Whitworth alumnus twice over, having earned his bachelor’s degree in 2006 and his MBA in 2010.  He serves Whitworth as the regional representative for donors and friends from Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, and Western Washington. He also works with boosters of the Whitworth baseball and men’s basketball teams and partners with the office of alumni relations to serve GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) alumni. 

Jaime Warfield
Assistant Director of Gift Planning
509.777.4452
jwarfield@whitworth.edu

Jaime assists The Whitworth Foundation in operations, marketing, reporting, record-keeping, cultivation, proposal preparation and presentation, and donor stewardship for life- income gifts, bequests and major gifts. In addition, she helps staff The Whitworth Foundation Board of Directors. Prior to serving in this position, Jaime served as the program coordinator for institutional advancement. A Whitworth employee since 2002, she graduated from Whitworth's Master of International Management Program in 2005.

Beth Davis
Program Coordinator, Major Gifts & The Whitworth Foundation
509.777.4268
bdavis@whitworth.edu

Beth provides administrative support to the major-gifts and Whitworth Foundation staff. Before joining the Whitworth staff in 2007, Beth held a variety of support-staff positions in pharmacy recruiting, financial planning and elementary education. As the daughter of two longtime Whitworth faculty members, Beth has long believed in Whitworth's mission to provide an education of mind and heart.

Nancy Hines
Director of Communications
509.777.4638
nhines@whitworth.edu

University Communications Office Staff Contacts

Garrett Riddle
Associate Director, Managing Editor
Office of University Communications
509.777.4784
griddle@whitworth.edu

As associate director and managing editor of university communications, Garrett is responsible for overseeing Whitworth's print publications and web operations. Before coming to Whitworth in 1997, Garrett served in a series of technology-related positions at Gonzaga University; he also worked as contributing writer and editor for a variety of publications. Garrett was attracted to Whitworth because of its commitment to academic excellence and the integration of Christian faith and learning.

Bob Baker
Manager, Printing & Mailing Services
509.777.3788
rbaker@whitworth.edu

Bob manages the university's copy center, print shop, mail center and campus post office. Prior to coming to Whitworth in 1995, Bob worked for 19 years in variety of positions in the commercial and nonprofit printing industry. He was attracted to Whitworth by the opportunity to work in an offset-printing operation for a highly regarded Christian organization.

Printing & Mailing Services Staff

Terry Rayburn Mitchell
Senior Editor
Office of University Communications
509.777.4326
tmitchell@whitworth.edu

Terry, who has been with Whitworth since 1983, is also an alumna of the university -- a member of the Class of '93. She is the editor of Whitworth Today, of Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor's newsletter, Mind & Heart, and of all other official Whitworth publications. She is also an adjunct faculty member who has been a member of the Core 150 team since 1994. As an alum, the mother of an alum (Andy Mitchell, '97, '98 MIT), and the grandmother of future alums (Kylie, '27, and Avery, '29), Terry is a strong believer in Whitworth's mission and in the university's goal of graduating men and women who are prepared and motivated to make the world a better place.

Julie Riddle
Senior Writer for Marketing & Development
Office of University Communications
509.777.3729
jriddle@whitworth.edu

A 1992 alumna, Julie writes content for Whitworth's print and electronic communications related to fund-raising, admissions and other public-relations initiatives; she also is associate editor of Whitworth Today, the university's alumni magazine. Julie served from 1998-2008 as public information officer at Whitworth. Prior to returning to her alma mater, she worked as a reporter, freelance writer, photographer and editorial assistant for several newspapers. Julie holds an M.F.A. degree from the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University. Julie is enthused about promoting Whitworth to donors, prospective students and their parents, alumni and other friends of the university.

Emily Proffitt
Public Information Officer
eproffitt@whitworth.edu

Emily's primary responsibilities include writing press releases, serving as the university's primary liaison with news reporters, acting as assistant editor for university publications, writing articles for the Whitworth Today alumni magazine, and managing all campus photography services. A 2005 Whitworth alumna, Emily previously worked as a reporter at the Journal of Business newspaper, in Spokane, before returning to her alma mater in 2008. She personally benefited from and strongly believes in Whitworth's mission to equip students to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity, and she appreciates the opportunity to promote the university to media outlets, prospective students, alumni, donors and other friends of Whitworth.