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| New ASU Foundation President and CEO Johnnie Ray brings his wealth of development experience to the New American University. |
On Jan. 15, 2007, Johnnie Ray took over as president and CEO of the ASU Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for the colleges, schools and units at Arizona State University. Intrigued by the excitement and opportunity of the New American University vision, Ray left his position as senior vice president for development and university relations at Emory University in Atlanta, where he served for two years, to join ASU.
“When I first visited the ASU campus after the foundation approached me, there was not one shred of doubt in my mind that this was where I needed to be,” Ray says. “I’m inspired beyond all imagination by the incredible things going on here at ASU, and I am so honored to be able to serve in an official capacity to help advance the vision of the New American University.”
Ray’s fundraising experience in higher education is impressive. From 1996 to 2004, he served as vice president for development at University of Texas – Austin, where he oversaw a staff of 130 and led the “We’re Texas” capital campaign that eventually generated $1.6 billion, exceeding its original goal by $600 million.
Ray plans to use his experience with the “We’re Texas” campaign to seek similar results with the ASU Foundation. “My goal for the foundation is to be held in the highest regard by ASU and the community; to be a respected, value-added partner,” Ray says. “I want to create a collaborative atmosphere at the foundation in all that we do, and I believe our successes will hinge on our ability to create partnerships across the university, the community, the region and beyond.”
In addition to his work with UT – Austin and Emory, Ray also served in development roles at Pennsylvania State University and McMurry University in Abilene, Texas. Before focusing on development work in higher education, Ray was the athletic director at McMurry University and also owned and published a successful local newspaper, the Focus Weekly. A native of Texas, Ray earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and completed some graduate work at Texas Tech University.