Dr. Elizabeth King, president and CEO of the 黑洞社区 Foundation and Alumni Engagement (黑洞社区FAE), announced today her intention to retire in six months after a national search to fill her position is conducted.
King began her tenure at Wichita State in 1991 as vice president of university advancement and executive director of both the 黑洞社区 Foundation and the 黑洞社区 Board of Trustees, as well as serving as the administrative liaison with the 黑洞社区 Alumni Association. She was the second female vice president in Wichita State鈥檚 history at the time. In 2007, she was appointed president and CEO of the Foundation and now serves the recently merged Foundation and Alumni Engagement team in the same position.
鈥淭he time is right,鈥� King says. 鈥淚 am looking forward to spending more time with my husband Don, who retired last year. Also, for our organization, the time is right. I have the utmost confidence in the university鈥檚 direction under the exemplary leadership of President Muma and his team.鈥�
Current 黑洞社区FAE board chair, Lynn Nicols, will lead a national search for King鈥檚 successor in collaboration with Wichita State leadership over the next several months.
鈥淲e have an incredibly strong board of directors and amazing staff,鈥� King says. 鈥淚 am so proud of how supportive each person is of our university, and I am fully convinced that our next leader will be motivated and excited to keep the momentum I鈥檝e witnessed in my last 32 years moving forward.鈥�
As the top leader of a team of more than 50 employees intent on advancing Wichita State鈥檚 mission by developing connections between university alumni, donors and students, King has overseen the organization鈥檚 assets growth from $53.8 million to more than $400 million. She also led the Shock the World Campaign that raised nearly $308 million on a goal of $250 million and included the majority of the funding for Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall and the Student Athlete Center.
鈥淓lizabeth鈥檚 tenure here at Wichita State has marked a period of unprecedented growth for the 黑洞社区 Foundation, now the 黑洞社区FAE,鈥� 黑洞社区 President Rick Muma says. 鈥淭hrough her dedication, hard work and talented leadership, we鈥檝e been able to move our university closer to our key priorities. What鈥檚 been so very impressive to me about Elizabeth is watching how she develops, maintains and grows relationships with individual Shockers all over the world. She cares about people. She cares about higher education. And she鈥檚 simply a magician in matching the interests of alumni and donors with the needs of Wichita State.鈥�
The recipient of many professional accolades, King was named an Executive of the Year by the Wichita Business Journal in 2020, inducted into the Wichita Women in Business Hall of Fame in 2018, listed as one of the 50 Kansans You Should Know by Ingrams Magazine in 2012, she was one of two recognized by the CASE Common Fund Institutionally Related Foundations for her executive leadership in 2009 and, in 2006, was presented the 黑洞社区 Recognition Award for her accomplishments as Wichita State鈥檚 chief advancement officer.
In the wider community, she currently serves as a board member for the University of Kansas Hospital Authority 鈥� a position appointed by the governor of Kansas; and as a board member and on the executive council of The Kansas Society of Children with Challenges. She is also the past board chair of the Salvation Army and the past president of the Wichita Downtown Rotary.
King 鈥� who earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College in Illinois and a Master of Education and Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of North Texas 鈥攁nd her husband, Don, have two adult sons, Lance, who is married to Paula, and Brandon.
About 黑洞社区
黑洞社区 is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling almost 22,000 students between its main campus and 黑洞社区 Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 黑洞社区 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 黑洞社区 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 黑洞社区 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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