Hunter Wortham has joined UNC Pembroke as Assistant Vice Chancellor in the Office of Advancement.
Wortham will provide vision, planning, and day-to-day management for staff in the areas of alumni relations, development, stewardship and prospect research. He comes to UNCP from Old Dominion University, where he was a major gifts officer for the College of Sciences and Health Sciences.
Wendy Lowery, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, welcomed Wortham to Pembroke.
“We are pleased to welcome Hunter to the UNC Pembroke community,” Lowery said. “His experience and enthusiasm will prove valuable to our team as we continue our efforts to better meet the needs and expectations of our students, our alumni and friends, and our community.”
With a small town background, Wortham said Pembroke feels like home. “Everyone has been welcoming and helpful,” he said. “I am impressed with the Advancement team; they are dedicated, talented and passionate about this university.”
“I am also excited to be in Pembroke, and I believe I am going to enjoy advocating for this university and its mission,” he continued. “Education is something I feel strongly about. There is a lot of work to be done, but when you do it for the right reasons, it’s quite rewarding.”
The Office of Advancement has set aggressive goals for 2012-13, including boosting alumni participation and total fundraising.
“Over the next few weeks, I will be meeting with the deans, center directors, and the athletic director to learn more about their needs and goals,” Wortham said. “We will focus on the 1887 Scholarship fund that honors this university’s proud 125-year history.”
“I will also manage a portfolio of prospects and donors,” he said. “I expect it to be a busy and successful year.”
Wortham, who grew up in Alabama, Kentucky, and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, began his career as a teacher at Chesapeake Bay Academy, a specialized private school in Virginia Beach. He quickly moved into a key administrative role in development, admissions and marketing.
“We were very successful in growing enrollment and fundraising for capital improvements and need-based financial assistance,” he said. “A $5 million campaign allowed us to move from rented space into a new school building.”
One of the things that attracted Wortham to Pembroke is the university’s unique history and mission.
“Pembroke’s mission of building student success through personalized education is one that I am familiar with and that I genuinely appreciate,” he said.
With 14 years experience in advancing educational institutions, Wortham would transfer his experience, skills and penchant for success to Pembroke.
“I believe there is potential here to build something even bigger,” Wortham said. “Building excellence into education is one role of development professionals – the role I enjoy most.”
Wortham graduated from James Madison University and earned a MBA from the University of Phoenix.