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.
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.
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.