Winter 2017 Update from Sondra Lomax

Dear Friends,

One of our biggest changes this past year is an internal one: the reorganization of the college’s development operations. We now share resources and staffing with the University Development Office and have hired several new team members.

First, many of you already know Andrew West from his previous position as Director of Development for the Butler School of Music. He will now be the college’s new Director of Principal Gifts. In this well-deserved promotion, Andrew will be focusing on the highest level of gifts across the college while working closely with Doug and me, plus the Chairs and Directors, on COFA’s top fundraising priorities. Andrew has more than 10 years of fundraising experience, along with an impressive track record for his recent successes with the Butler School and the Longhorn Band.

We also have two new gift officers who have recently joined our team, Marcela DeFaria and Alex Scull. Please read more about them below. Our appreciation to Vice President for Development Scott Rabenold for his support in this expansion, which will allow us to greatly increase our fundraising for the benefit of the college and the university.

As you know from our fall meeting, the college is growing by leaps and bounds to keep pace with the rapid changes that technology, globalization and new forms of creativity are prompting in the arts. As the college expands, our fundraising goals will continue to rise, and we will continue to push aggressively toward more transformative gifts and endowments for key initiatives like the new School of Design and Creative Technologies.

There are plenty of opportunities to invest in the college and benefit our students, our faculty and our program, so I hope you take the opportunity to meet with a member of our team this year to discuss how you would like to contribute to the college’s bright future. We’re moving forward quickly and strategically, and we are accomplishing great things. We’re glad you’re here to share the journey, because we can’t do this without you.

Warm regards,

Sondra Lomax
Executive Director and Associate Dean for Development