Dianne Ashby
Dianne Ashby
Illinois State University President Al Bowman has named Dianne Ashby vice president of University Advancement following a nationwide search.
As the vice president, Ashby leads Donor and Information Services, Alumni Relations, Development, Internal Campaigns and University Marketing and Communications. She is also the executive director of the Illinois State University Foundation, the private fund-raising arm of the University.
Ashby, currently the interim vice president, has been at Illinois State University since 1991. She came to the University as the Illinois Postsecondary HIV Prevention Education Project coordinator and followed that with stints as principal of University High School, chair of the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations and dean of the College of Education.
Ashby received her Ph.D. in educational administration from Southern Illinois University, her master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Illinois, Springfield, and her bachelor’s degree in speech and theater arts from MacMurray College.
During her tenure as interim vice president, Ashby established a precedent-setting relationship between the University and the Foundation to purchase and manage property, the Alumni Center and Trader’s Circle parking lot, which will serve the needs of University while also serving as an investment for the Foundation; worked toward the creation of Green Gardens at Ewing, which will be dedicated this fall; spearheaded the 150th Celebration with a fundraising focus on student scholarships; redesigned alumni outreach and development infrastructure, including the ongoing process of adopting a new database; and energized the Student Foundation, which has raised nearly $30,000 to endow the Olamide Adeyoye Scholarship, which will be awarded for the first time this fall.
“Dr. Ashby has provided exemplary leadership for University Advancement, helping to raise the Illinois State University Foundation endowment past $80 million, increasing alumni and university family giving and making substantial positive changes within the division,” said Bowman. “I want to thank the search committee for their hard work throughout this national search, and I congratulate Dr. Ashby on her continuing appointment.”
Ashby said her next goal is getting the University and Foundation ready for the second major fundraising campaign by extending outreach to alumni, corporations and foundations; increasing the number of donors; and assuring a solid infrastructure in the forms of a reliable and accurate database, donor services and investment strategies.
