William R. Lowery, Ph.D., has been appointed Vice President for Development and External Relations, effective February 1, 2006. His appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees on Nov. 30, following an extensive national search.
Dr. Lowery joins the College with a distinguished 35-year career in higher education and advancement. He currently serves as partner in the Washington, D.C., office of the international fundraising consulting firm Bentz Whaley Flessner, and has guided more than 20 colleges and universities through major campaigns and fund-raising strategy development. He is particularly knowledgeable in the areas of advancement planning, annual giving, major gift program development, and campaign implementation.
This appointment marks a return to The Claremont Colleges for Dr. Lowery, who began his career in 1967 as assistant professor of English at Pomona College, later serving as Director of Development and Director of Annual Giving at Pomona. He was also Dean of Admission and Associate Professor of English at Pitzer College, and subsequently served as Vice President for Development and Public Affairs at Lake Forest College, Vice President for External Relations at Carleton College, and Dean for College Advancement at his alma mater, Wabash College. Dr. Lowery is widely respected throughout the higher education advancement community, having served on many commissions, committees, and task forces of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), as well as a member of its Board of Trustees from 1991-1994. Dr. Lowery has taught more than 3,000 advancement professionals through CASE educational seminars and programs, received its Steuben Apple for excellence in teaching, and was founding chair of its Commission on Philanthropy.
He is a graduate of Wabash College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and received a Ph.D. in English from Northwestern University.