The ASU Foundation will get a new president and chief executive officer in January, who will replace current president and director of the ASU Office of Development, Ira Jackson.
Johnnie Ray, a former fundraising director for the University of Texas at Austin and senior vice president for Development and University Relations at Emory University in Atlanta, will assume his new position at ASU on Jan. 15.
ASU President Michael Crow said Ray was a "perfect match" for the ASU Foundation, which is responsible for all aspects of fundraising for the University.
"Ray has been called the nation's best university fundraiser, and it is a coup for us to have lured him away from Emory, one of the top private universities in the country," Crow said in a statement.
Ray is no stranger to university fundraising campaigns.
At UT-Austin, Ray oversaw a campaign that generated $1.6 billion in funding, exceeding its original goal of $600 million, ASU officials said in a statement.
ASU officials said Ray's success and experience at UT-Austin, a large university like ASU, makes him the ideal candidate for president of the ASU Foundation.
"We were looking for someone with a broad range of experience and his background at UT-Austin was very appealing," said Craig Weatherup, chairman of the ASU Foundation's Board of Directors.
Before working for UT-Austin, Ray held the position of director of development for the sciences at Pennsylvania State University.
He also was employed at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, as the associate vice president for Development and University Relations.
Weatherup said Ray's extensive experience working a wide range of positions at different universities prepared him to work well in the Valley and at ASU.
"His strong leadership and managerial skills impressed us," Weatherup said. "He has a great humanity about him, which will help him connect with the ASU administration and community."
Ray said he was "thrilled" to join ASU as it continues to expand and change in the future.
"The University's potential for excellence and growth, and for making an impact on the world, is enormous," Ray said in a statement. "I look forward to being a part of that effort."
Reach the reporter at: Natalie.I.Hayes@asu.edu.
