In 2000, Josh Walter ‘01 sat in the Kamiak High School auditorium, outside Seattle, Washington with his mother listening to various speakers talk about career and college opportunities. One of the speakers was a military recruiter who explained the ROTC program and described the type of person who would be successful. His mother elbowed him several times and said, “This is for you!” Josh was athletic and played on the football and basketball teams, in addition to running track. He loved football and wanted to find a college that offered the opportunity to continue playing. Coming to CMC for a tour and meeting Coach Rick Candeale, Josh discovered not only could he play Division III football, but CMC had a robust ROTC program as well. During his second campus tour and sleep over, he was taken to Collins Hall for lunch where he was introduced to current students in the ROTC program. One extremely smart, energetic, and cute junior female ROTC cadet stood out to Josh. 15 years later, Marisa Pearlman ’98 would eventually become his wife! Those experiences plus a four-year ROTC Scholarship cemented CMC as his first college choice.
Josh is a very sociable person by nature, which is one of his strongest personal assets. He admits he enjoyed a very social life at CMC, had many friends, and was extremely well liked. He was chosen Social Affairs Chair in his junior year and ASCMC President his senior year. He also played varsity football and rugby. Upon graduation and commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in 2001, the Army assigned him to the Ordinance Branch and after a six-month delay, sent him to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland for Ordinance Officer Basic Training. Josh quickly learned that ammunition, bombs, mines, and explosives were only a small piece of ordinance training. Ordinance is also maintenance – maintenance of vehicles, trucks, tanks, jeeps and more – something that Josh knew absolutely nothing about. But in characteristic fashion, Josh applied himself and began to learn about the myriads of Army forms, regulations, and procedures. On one occasion, his commanding officer asked for volunteers to play rugby on weekends. Josh loved the sport and had played fullback at CMC, so he raised his hand. Playing rugby with his commanding officer brought Josh into a community of new friends and the camaraderie that comes from playing a team sport. It also placed him in high regard by his CO.
At the end of his training in 2002, Josh received orders transferring him to his next duty station. His orders read “Schofield Barracks,” but until he saw the state abbreviation, he did not realize that he would be traveling to Hawaii, a plum assignment for any military person.
When he arrived at Schofield Barracks, the Army did not have a slot for him as a platoon leader, so Josh was assigned temporary duty as the officer responsible for conducting the Combined Federal Campaign (much like the United Way but for Federal Workers). For six months, he traveled to the federal offices throughout Oahu making presentations and raising donations for the various funds represented in the campaign. He was good at his job and his natural social personality proved a big plus in making his pitch and getting donations. He did not know it at the time, but this experience would provide valuable tools and skills that would become helpful later in his civilian career.
Finally, a platoon leader position opened, and Josh was assigned to the 45th CorpsSupport Group attached to the 25th Infantry Division (The Tropical Lightning Division). His responsibility was motor pool maintenance - something he knew nothing about. He had three types of soldiers working for him: soldiers who knew tractors and big rig engines, soldiers who were familiar with fast cars and motor bikes, and senior non-commissioned officers who knew everything there was to know about maintaining military vehicles. They ran the show and told Josh just to stay out of the way. Studying the wide range of backgrounds and mix of his soldiers, Josh looked for ways these three groups could work more cohesively and efficiently. He also found that even though he was a bright officer with a college degree, his position was at the bottom of the hierarchical ladder. There was “only one way of doing things...the Army way.” And while his CMC training had taught him to be a critical thinker and open to all points of view, in the Army, one followed established Army protocols without exception.
Josh discovered that his men, all 18 and 19 years of age, were intimidated by Hawaii, and did not take advantage of seeing and enjoying the natural beauty of Oahu. The military and motor pool maintenance were their world. He established a relationship with the local Boys and Girls Club and asked his soldiers to volunteer to help with a summer camp program of volleyball and beach activities. He got 20 of his “grease monkeys” to volunteer, and they had a wonderful time playing with the kids, seeing the beautiful island, and enjoying beach activities. Soldiers came to him after the event saying this had been their first time away from the Post, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They could not wait to take some leave and explore the island further. This experience also helped to create a bond among his men, and he found the platoon coming together with a common goal and working more efficiently to get the job done: mission accomplished!
Meanwhile, as an Air Defense Artillery Officer stationed in Germany, Marisa corresponded and stayed in touch with Josh. They would be on opposite sides of the world but had agreed to remain friends after college. After completing her own military career in Germany, Marisa taught English in Japan for six months, and upon return to the U.S. to pursue a graduate degree at Claremont Graduate University she decided to stop off in Hawaii to visit Josh. Their romance blossomed and ultimately were married in Hawaii in October 2005.
Josh’s final year in the Army was spent in a staff job in the S4 Shop (Supply and Maintenance). He filled out forms and submitted reports. He was bored and said it was the worst job he had in the Army. The 25th Infantry Division one of the last divisions to be deployed to Afghanistan. It was supported by two maintenance support groups, one of which was Josh’s group. With only 6 months left to serve, Josh was fortunate that the other support group was chosen to deploy with the 25th.
Transitioning out of the Army on time, Josh and Marisa shipped their Dodge Durango with Hawaiian license plates to Seattle. They had four months before Marisa started work on her master's degree at Claremont Graduate University. The pair took an extended vacation visiting all the relatives and friends who visited and stayed with them in Hawaii. Beginning in Seattle they drove to Mazatlán and spent a month in Mexico. Then they traversed through thirty-fivestates including Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, up the East Coast, on to Maine and into Canada. Crossing back across the border in Detroit, the U.S. Border Control Officials refused to believe the Hawaiian license plates on Josh’s car and the couple was forced to remove everything from the vehicle. Their belongings were thoroughly searched, and after four hours they finally resumed their adventure and returned to Claremont, completing their 18,000+ miles adventure!
While Marisa started her graduate studies, Josh started looking for a job. He had no idea what he wanted to do as his Army maintenance experience only qualified him to be a Warehouse Manager, something he had no interest in. So, he reached out to his friend, John Faranda ‘79, for advice. Looking over Josh’s resume and seeing his 6 months of fundraising experience and being a superior judge of character, John knew that Josh would be successful in the fundraising field. Josh was not so sure, but he needed a job and decided to try the position as the Chapter Event Planner in the Advancement Department.
There was no budget for organizing chapter events. Events were created by finding a local graduate to host a party at their home or local venue. Josh noticed that the CMC women’s soccer team was traveling to Boston. He found a graduate who had played soccer and had been a past contributor to the college. He reached out and asked if she would host the event and invite local alumni to come and meet the team. The volunteer never wavered and hosted the entire event at her own expense. The Boston Chapter event was a resounding success, and Josh realized this would be an excellent model to follow for future meetings. He repeated the process with tennis, football, baseball and took advantage of all the sports teams’ travels to organize chapter events around their destinations.
The rest, as they say, is history and Josh went on to be promoted to more responsible positions within the Advancement Department at CMC. He worked in the Alumni Relations and Annual Giving offices. He later became a Major Gifts Officer and eventually was promoted to be the Director of Major Gifts.
Then in 2015, Lewis & Clark College recruited Josh to be the Vice President of their Advancement Division, bringing a wealth of leadership, fundraising expertise, and can-do attitude to the position. Josh led his staff to success and in 2025, completed a 7-year comprehensive fundraising campaign, the most ambitious and successful campaign in L&C’s history. Under Josh’s direction, and following models he learned at CMC, his team raised$165 million.
Josh admits that: “it was sometimes difficult to keep the train on track, but I assured my staff that ‘better days were ahead’ and if we worked together for the common good, we would achieve our goal.”
Today Josh enjoys his 19-year marriage to Marisa and two boys, Kannona junior in high school and Chase a freshman.He cites the following Life Lessons Learned gleaned from his military and fundraising career:
- Be Both a Leader and a Follower. It is important to be a strong leader, but also to be able to fall in line, and support others around you.
- Responsibility. Assume responsibility for your work even when you may be unfamiliar with the duties. Dig in, learn the job, and execute to the best of your ability.
- Take Advantage of Opportunity. Josh admits he has been fortunate but believes in the adage of “luck is when opportunity meets persistence.” His mantra is “Stay positive, be patient, and jump on the opportunities when they are presented.”