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What are your main responsibilities as major gift officer?

I guess the role would be two parts, but closely related. The first part is fostering alumni relationships and friends-of-Drake relationships who are not alumni, and growing and improving the endowment. It’s critical for Drake because one of our main goals here is to be recognized as one of the best institutions of higher learning in the United States, and growing the endowment is critical to that.

Are you solely responsible for the College of Arts and Sciences’ endowment?

No, it’s for the entire university. I could be meeting with alumni from the College of Business, Law School, any college of Drake. And we kind of change things regionally, so for example, Colorado is one of the states that I travel to. I will help build relationships with alumni there.

Do you think working in academia is different from working in corporate America?

I’ve been here fairly briefly, so I really can’t say at this point. But I do think there are a lot of similarities between the corporate world I was in before – in terms of sales – to the position I have now. So I would say there are more similarities than differences at this point, such as building relationships and understanding the needs, whether it’s a client or an alumnus.

What has been one of your best career experiences?

I had a manager during my career that taught me a number of key things to be successful. Number one was building relationships; number two was understanding the needs of the clients, or in this case, the alumni, and then being able to tailor a message to help them meet their goals. But I think also what I was taught earlier, by the same gentleman, was that you have to mix that in with integrity and truthfulness to make a winning combination.

Does work stop when you leave the office?

I don’t think it ever does for anyone. You are always thinking about your job, but you have to be a little bit careful because it can rule your life.

If you could have the ideal work schedule, what would it be?

I’d have to say that with the position I have now, and the positions I have had in the past, the work schedules have been fine. Minus being totally retired and working on my hobbies, the 8-to-5 works fine for me and still gives me enough time to spend with my family.

Is there anything you look back at during your career and say, “I should have done that differently.”

I think with any challenges that may come up during your career, it brings wisdom. You certainly could go back and change some things, but I think it’s a fine line. Being retrospective is important, but you don’t want to dwell on the past. So I wouldn’t change anything.

Is there one thing you cannot leave home without?

My iPhone. It’s a mini computer, so I could not go anywhere without it.

What is your favorite application on your iPhone?

That’s tough. There are a lot of good apps. But I would say my favorite is the reading app that I have, to be able to read all of my books on my phone. No matter where you are – the grocery store or waiting in line somewhere – you can pull up a document or read a book.

What is your one escape from work?

I really enjoy woodworking. That is probably my main escape, something I can do and I’ll forget about everything, whether it’s work related or related to anything else. My father had some small woodworking tools when I was growing up, and he let me use those early on, so I would just play around with them.

What one word best describes you?

Persistent.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I would probably have to say China, just because there is a lot of history and because of the culture. I think of the Great Wall and how wonderful it would be to hike that. It would just be neat to see.