After the recent appointment of Bill Northup to vice president of advancement, Central College continues to make strategic moves in the staffing of the advancement office.
Central College President Mark Putnam, retiring vice president of advancement Dave Sutphen and Northup collaborated to lay the groundwork for the reorganization, which will take place over the next few weeks. According to the leadership, these new roles will enhance Central’s ability to serve alumni and donors while advancing the initiatives of the college.
Don Morrison has been promoted to director of development and planned giving. Morrison has worked at Central since 1993 in various roles, including coordinator of church relations, director of alumni and church relations, senior development officer and, most recently, director of planned giving. With Morrison at the helm, Central completed an 18-month bequest campaign during which the college realized 17 new documented bequests with a current estimated total value of $2.4 million. In his new role, Morrison will continue working in the planned giving arena and as a part of the team of major gifts officers.
Kathy Cashen Thompson ’87 will serve as the new director of alumni relations. Her vast experience in alumni, development and admission roles over the years and particularly her relationships with generations of Central College alumni will advance Central’s programming. Additionally, she will keep annual giving responsibilities for a select donor group. Thompson most recently served as director of annual giving at Central and served in four additional roles in the Central admission office from 1987-1999. Away from Pella, she was the director of admissions and alumni relations at Northwest State Community College in Archbold, Ohio, and director of alumni relations at Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, and she has held various other positions in Kent, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Westford, Mass.
Mary Benedict is the new assistant director of alumni relations. At Central since 2002, Benedict previously worked in the admission office as a campus visit coordinator. In the advancement office, she has been the advancement database coordinator and administrative assistant to the vice president, director of development and director of planned giving. Benedict worked as a records support specialist with the society of the alumni at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., as well as in various sales and marketing account roles and customer service positions in Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin.
Peggy Johnson Van Den Berg ’83 has an enhanced role as director of stewardship. With more than 24 years of service at Central, including her recent role as an advancement database specialist and endowed scholarship coordinator, Van Den Berg knows Central’s donor base better than anyone. She will sustain positive and mutually rewarding relationships between the college and its donors, partner with major gifts officers to determine the best strategies for effective stewardship of donors, maintain ongoing and active networking with internal and external constituencies and advise on the facilitation of recognition events and coordinate various activities for donors.
