February 24, 2012

Rick Lawrence selected as CEO of CU Foundation

The University of Colorado Foundation has named Richard W. Lawrence as its new president and chief executive officer following a national search, the Foundation’s board of directors announced today.

Lawrence, a six-year CU Foundation veteran who most recently has served as chief operating officer and executive vice president, assumes the role effective immediately. He replaces retiring CEO J. Wayne Hutchens, who will remain through April 1 to assist the transition, and who with Lawrence has led the CU Foundation to its five most successful fundraising years ever.

Lawrence, 54, brings to the role a track record of efficient and effective management, strong university and donor relationships, and a comprehensive understanding of the Foundation’s operations. He will oversee a staff of 200, CU endowments of approximately $750 million, and annual fundraising exceeding $100 million. He is a 1980 alumnus of the University of Colorado Boulder.

“We had an extraordinarily strong pool of applicants, yet our committee was united in believing that Lawrence was the ideal candidate for this critical role,” said Margaret Bathgate, chair of the CEO search committee that selected Rick from a pool of 98 candidates. “In addition to his clear capabilities, passion, and vision, CU Foundation stakeholders and staff have trust and confidence in him, which will be an invaluable asset as we progress toward our goals for the $1.5 billion Creating Futures campaign.”

CU President Bruce D. Benson said, “Rick Lawrence has been instrumental in building the organizational structure that has led the CU Foundation toward fundraising success. I have every confidence in his ability to step into this leadership role and advance the CU Foundation’s ability to attract the private support that adds value to people, programs, and places at the University of Colorado.”

Lawrence has played a fundamental role in the strategic planning for the Creating Futures campaign, which has generated $1.1 billion in private support for CU since it began July 1, 2006. Guided by 30 prior years of executive experience at Vectra Bank and Bank One Corporation, Lawrence has helped lead evolutions in the Foundation’s investment management and real estate foundation structures, and has negotiated critical donor and university-partner arrangements.

“Rick Lawrence has demonstrated outstanding strategic vision in our six years working together at the CU Foundation, and our staff has strong confidence in his leadership,” said Wayne Hutchens, who had been Foundation CEO since 2006. “CU donors, alumni, and friends can be confident that the Foundation is in capable hands.”

Beyond the CU Foundation, Lawrence is president of the board of directors of Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette, and has served on boards of community and industry organizations such as the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, the Boulder Downtown Management Commission, and the Colorado Bankers Association, among others.
In addition to his CU degree, Lawrence is a 1988 graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. His wife, Barbara, received a 1996 graduate degree from CU, and together they have two children.

Contact

About the CU Foundation
Founded in 1967, the nonprofit CU Foundation partners with the University of Colorado to raise, manage, and invest private support for the university's benefit. Our donors help the university transform lives through education, research, clinical care, and community engagement. The Foundation has raised $1.1 billion toward the $1.5 billion goal for Creating Futures, a campaign to increase excellence and impact throughout each of CU’s four campuses. Visit www.cufund.org for more information.

About the CU System
The University of Colorado is a premier public research university with four campuses: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Some 60,000 students are pursuing CU academic degrees. Academic prestige is marked by the university’s four Nobel laureates, seven MacArthur “genius” Fellows, 18 alumni astronauts and 19 Rhodes Scholars. For more information about the entire CU system, and to access campus resources, go to www.cu.edu.