Ashland University Names New Vice President for Development and Institutional Advancement

Ashland University has named Ron Huiatt as the new vice president for development and institutional advancement. He will begin his duties at Ashland University on Jan. 9.

Huiatt comes from California University of Pennsylvania in California, Pa., where he has served as vice president of university development and alumni relations for the past two years.

“We are very excited to announce the selection of Ron Huiatt as the new vice president to lead our development efforts,” said Ashland University President Fred Finks. “He has more than 20 years of progressive managerial experience in the area of resource development coupled with solid technical and analytical skills.”

Finks said Huiatt has proven ability as far as planning, developing, implementing and managing fund raising campaigns and is skilled in the area of budgeting and financial management.

“At California University, he managed a $35 million endowment campaign with revenues of $9 million in the past two years,” Finks said. “He has a solid history of hands-on success in key advancement areas including capital campaigns, planned giving, prospect research, major gifts, donor relations, corporate and foundation relations, government relations, alumni affairs and annual giving.”

Prior to joining California University, Huiatt was chief development officer for Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia for two years and chief development officer for Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va., for five years.

He also served as vice president for institutional advancement at Mountain State University in Beckley, W.Va., for six years and as executive director of development for Columbia College in Columbia, S.C., for two years. He also worked at Oberlin College for nine years in a variety of positions, including director of development from 1991 to 1993.

Huiatt has a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of Missouri and a master of arts degree in psychology from The Ohio State University.

He is co-founder of two regional advancement organizations – The Northern Ohio Planned Giving Council and The Ohio Prospect Research Network. He is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and a member of the Mon Valley Regional (Pa.) Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities category for 2012, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.

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RELEASED Nov. 11, 2011