Campus News

Westminster Appoints New VP of Advancement and New VP of Finance

August 1, 2007

Westminster College Appoints New Vice President of Institutional Advancement and New Vice President of Finance & Administration

Westminster College President Michael Bassis today announced that Stephen R. Morgan will assume the role of Vice President of Institutional Advancement and that Curtis Ryan will become the Vice President of Finance and Administration. The changes will be effective immediately. 
 
In his new role in Institutional Advancement, Morgan will lead the development team in their efforts to raise funds to support the college’s educational goals. He will also direct the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations. Morgan is replacing Nancy Michalko, who resigned last month.

“In the not-for-profit world, and certainly at colleges and universities, some of the most difficult positions to fill are in fundraising. The job demands a dual focus on internal affairs and external relations and thus requires a wide range of talents, some of them quite rare,” remarked Bassis. “At Westminster, our VP for Advancement must be adept at organizational management, highly respected inside and outside the college, have unquestioned integrity, deep knowledge of the local community, a clear passion for the institution, highly developed interpersonal skills and a limitless reservoir of energy, optimism and persistence. Because he possesses all of these qualities, I have asked Steve Morgan to serve as our new Vice President for Advancement and he has accepted the position.”

Morgan has been with the college for 26 years and served as Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration for more than 20 years. He originally joined Westminster as part of the team that helped the school emerge from financial exigency. Since then, he has managed the college through 24 years of balanced budgets and helped the college endowment grow to over $60 million. During his tenure, he also contributed to the transformation of the school to one of the top ranked colleges in the west. Some of the change that Steve helped direct include several major construction projects, including residence halls, the Giovale Library, the renovations of the Gore School of Business and the Shaw Center, and most recently, the construction of the Emma Eccles Jones Conservatory and the Dolores Dore Eccles Health,Wellness, and Athletic Center.

“I am flattered that the President has asked me to take on this important role,” remarked Morgan. “I know how critical fundraising is to our educational mission and our goal of becoming nationally recognized for our distinctive academic programs. The more I consider the opportunities presented by this new position, the more enthusiastic I become.

Curtis Ryan has been with the college for 15 years and most recently held the position of Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration. He will assume Morgan’s responsibilities, which include finance, human resources, facilities and risk management.

“Curtis is the ideal choice to become the new VP of Finance and Administration,” said Bassis. “He has done an outstanding job for the college. Steve and I, and I think most people associated with Westminster, have great confidence in Curtis’ abilities as he takes on these new responsibilities.”

Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college distinguished by its unique approach to learning. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster prepares students for success with its emphasis on active learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. These are further enriched by the opportunities presented by Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake. For more information visit www.westminstercollege.edu .