The OSU Foundation has welcomed OSU alumna Debra Engle to serve as the new senior vice president. Engle has spent seven years at Iowa State University but she previously worked at the OSU Foundation for 16 years.
An OSU alumna has come back to OSU to serve as the Senior Vice President of the OSU Foundation after a distinguished career away from Stillwater.
Debra Engle served at the Iowa State University Foundation for the past seven years, and Engle said she was excited to return to Stillwater and assist OSU in the best way possible.
“I can’t tell you how excited I get about it,” Engle said. “The president [of the OSU Foundation] has so much enthusiasm. All of the ingredients are coming together.”
Engle describes herself as “a confident leader, a passionate OSU alum and individual who looks to the future with optimism.”
Before Engle served at Iowa State University, she worked for 16 years at the OSU Foundation as well as participating in various philanthropic organizations.
Engle singled out one organization she worked for as the most important to her.
“My greatest passion is the Women in Philanthropy Institute located at Indiana University,” Engle said. “I was the first president for that institute. We focused on encouraging and inspiring women to step forward and take up their own philanthropic desires.”
According to Engle, her general goals for the OSU Foundation are that it increases the fundraising dollars, develops its staff skills in the area and that it serves its donors even better.
Engle said she loves working with people whether donors, staff or campus leaders. She said she understands how important listening has to be when dealing with so many different groups of people and she wants to help facilitate the donor’s needs and expectations with campus as well.
The most important issue to Engle is helping the community as a whole.
“OSU has a number of needs, from student scholarships to faculty chairs to new buildings,” Engle said. “The school can’t cover all the costs nor can the state. The gifts given provide the school with the opportunity to be the best it can be. The gifts allow more students the chance to come to school or give a faculty job to a qualified person who needs the job.”
In addition, Engle walks the walk but not out of obligation.
“I’m a donor. From a personal perspective, it gives me great joy to donate to something I am proud of,” she said.
At the end of the day, Debra Engle said the best thing about being back in Stillwater, particularly at OSU, is “the friendliness. The people are just so friendly and welcoming. I also think we have one of the most beautiful campuses anywhere. And it’s nice to see all the progress and change. It gives me a sense of energy on the campus because of the buildings.”
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