Purdue for Life Foundation searching for new CEO
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The Purdue for Life Foundation will soon launch a national search for its next CEO. The foundation’s current CEO, Matt Folk, announced this week he is stepping down to focus on the growth of Purde University’s new Indianapolis campus.
Folk is a 1991 graduate of Purdue and has served as the university’s vice president for advancement and alumni engagement and the foundation’s CEO since the spring of 2020.
The foundation was created through the merger of the Purdue Alumni Association and the University Development Office with the goal of supporting the university “through coordinated engagement with alumni, donors and fans.”
Purdue said during folk’s tenure as CEO, fundraising at the university has grown to more than $600 million and the number of donors has increased annually.
“We thank and celebrate Matt’s outstanding leadership since spring 2019 in merging three distinct organizations to create Purdue for Life Foundation and officially launching the foundation in March 2020,” Purdue President Mung Chiang said in a news release. “His dedication, vision and execution have resulted in unprecedented growth on all fronts: philanthropic fundraising, alumni relations, athletic fans’ engagement and the foundation’s daily operation.
The university said Folk will serve as Ambassador for Purdue in Indianapolis after he steps down as CEO. However, he will remain in his current role until his successor starts.
“I am ever grateful to our Purdue for Life team for joining me on the journey to bring this foundation to life as well as to the alumni, friends and fans, especially the Purdue Alumni Association Board of Directors, whose support has made it such a success,” Folk said. “I’m incredibly proud of everyone’s hard work and the growth we’ve seen in giving and in participation across our many engagement programs and other initiatives.”