Campus colleagues,

I am writing to inform the campus that Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Executive Director of the UC Foundation Kim White has decided to transition into a newly created position as executive advisor to the UC Foundation, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

We will immediately launch a national search for a new vice chancellor.

UTC Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Mark Wharton and UC Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Ashlee Patten will serve as co-chairs of the search committee.  Gonser Gerber LLP, a national executive search consultant, will support the process, with a goal of making an offer before the end of the year.

When Vice Chancellor White joined the UTC Executive Leadership Team in December 2021, she came in during a difficult time in higher education due to the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.  A UTC alumna with 18 years of experience holding multiple volunteer leadership positions at UTC and within the UT System, she brought a remarkable blend of expertise, skills and knowledge to campus with a mission of rebuilding the infrastructure of the UC Foundation, and she has accomplished what she set out to do.

Her vision was to reignite a philosophy of philanthropy on our campus by rebuilding our advancement and alumni engagement teams.  The results speak for themselves: her team has delivered record-breaking fundraising, donor and alumni engagement numbers.

UTC is coming off the single largest fundraising year in our history—$60.1 million raised from 6,762 donors during fiscal year 2024.  The investments in our campus and community included the generosity of Gary and Kathleen Rollins’ $30 million gift to support the expansion of Fletcher Hall and the home to the Gary W. Rollins College of Business.  UTC’s School of Nursing received its most significant gift ever—$8 million from the Kennedy Foundation, Inc. to name the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, which will break ground later this fall and be the new home for the School of Nursing.

In other words, Kim came in to do a job, and she’s done it faster than she thought she would.  What was once an empty pipeline has been transformed into a thriving network of engaged donors.  Our University’s future looks very bright.

She has decided the time is right to step into a part-time role that allows her to focus more on family while continuing her impactful work.

In 2025, the UC Foundation will begin a feasibility study for our campus to undertake a comprehensive capital campaign to ensure that future investments are even more strategic and efficient.  Thanks to the strong team she has assembled, her replacement will be well-positioned to see this campaign through to a successful outcome that benefits every UTC community member.

I am thankful to Vice Chancellor White for working so closely with the Executive Committee of the UC Foundation and myself to ensure a seamless handoff.  I am also grateful to her for agreeing to stay on in a limited capacity as an advisor so we can continue to benefit from her experience.

Please join me in congratulating Kim as she moves into her new role.