Western Colorado University Welcomes Shelley Thompson as Vice President of Advancement and Executive Director of the WCU Foundation

After a 25-year career raising millions for organizations across Colorado — from museums to health systems to community colleges — Shelley Thompson is bringing her talents to the mountains.

On September 29, Thompson will officially begin her role as Western Colorado University’s new Vice President of Advancement and Executive Director of the WCU Foundation. She brings a deep well of fundraising experience, a passion for access to education, and a desire to live and lead in a rural community.

“Shelley has extensive experience in the philanthropic sector, both in higher education and beyond,” Western President Brad Baca said. “She has demonstrated a strong ability to build relationships, lead teams, and secure transformational support for the institutions she serves. We are thrilled to welcome her to Western.”

Thompson most recently served as Associate Vice President of University Advancement at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she helped guide a successful $100 million fundraising campaign. Prior to that, she held leadership roles with Outward Bound USA, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Colorado Community College System, and the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, among others.

Her diverse experience taught her a lot about philanthropy and the mission it serves.

“Good fundraising happens when the donor and the University are completely aligned in what they are trying to accomplish,” she said. “Fundraising is really about building relationships. It’s my job to figure out what change a potential donor is trying to make in the world, how their desire aligns with the priorities of the University, and then to make the right match so that everyone gets what they want and need.”

Trying to find the right match in her previous roles, she sometimes travelled, but rarely far from the Front Range. It was her time in the Colorado Community College system that got her out of her office and into the more rural parts of the state. That experience made her realize that, at some point, she’d like to escape the city herself.

“It’s not just the scenery that has enticed me to make the move. I appreciate how people in a rural community care for one another, and I have wanted to be part of that for 15 years now,” she said. “I really can’t wait to join the Western and the Gunnison Valley communities.”

Her affinity for Western goes back even further, to early in her career. Thompson said one of the Board members she previously worked with and greatly admired is a Western alumnus who spoke often about the outsized role the University played in his “notable success.” That endorsement stayed with her, and when the opportunity to join Western came calling, she was ready to answer.

During her on-campus interview, she spoke about the rising opportunity for Advancement to help address some of the most fundamental challenges that higher education is facing right now, like maintaining enrollment in the face of shifting demographics and job markets, and addressing college affordability.

“Philanthropy will continue to make Western more accessible to everyone who wants to attend,” she said. “One of the things I really love about philanthropists is that there are so many risk-takers among them. They want to help places like Western try new things that could have a tremendous impact, but might not have been possible without private support.”

But with all those goals in mind, Thompson says, her first priority at Western will be to listen and learn. “I hope my new colleagues will know that I am a curious person and I really want a chance to meet as many of them as possible in my first year, to hear their stories, and to understand what they want and need from Advancement and the WCU Foundation,” she said. “Their input will be critical as we chart a path forward, together.”