T R I N I T Y
T O D A Y
Two New VPs Fill Key Administrative Posts Ahlburg and others through the strategic planning process now in progress. She also looks forward to getting to know the San Antonio community, as well as the larger community of alumni, friends, and parents nationally. In her previous position as senior director of development for the Leeds School of Business, Christeson provided senior leadership to all fund-raising activities at the Leeds School as well as to the planning and implementation of the School’s successful $38 million campaign. Prior to Leeds, she served as regional director of development at Washington University in St. Louis where she was responsible for major gift fund-raising and worked collaboratively with deans and volunteers to successfully fund a variety of university needs from endowed scholarships to endowed chairs. Christeson holds a bachelor of communication from Truman State University. Mark A. Detterick
Tracy Christeson
TIME TO CELEBRATE
Moving quickly to fill the vacancies left by the retirements of Craig McCoy and Marc Raney, President Dennis A. Ahlburg appointed Mark A. Detterick as vice president for Fiscal Affairs and Tracy Christeson as vice president for University Advancement and Communications. Both come from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Detterick will lead the strategic management of the University’s financial and operating activities, including budgeting, investing, financial reporting, purchasing, facilities, police, and human resources. Expressing confidence in Detterick’s financial prowess, Ahlburg notes, “Mark is meticulous with details, but he also has the vision to see the big picture for the institution.” For Detterick, it’s an exciting time to be at Trinity. He anticipates radical changes in higher education models over the next ten years—“will the ‘chalk and talk’ model still work?”—and in response, he says “we will pay close attention to the intersection of market trends, financial performance, internal competencies, and the mission of the University.” In his previous position as director of finance and operations at the Leeds School of Business, Detterick was an integral member of the school’s leadership and strategic planning team and oversaw the day-to-day fiscal affairs. Detterick earned a bachelor’s in business administration in finance from New Mexico State University and an MBA from the University of Colorado. His mother is a graduate of Trinity. Christeson will lead the strategic management of Trinity’s fund-raising, alumni engagement, and communications, including major gifts, planned giving, development services, and alumni relations. Ahlburg tapped her for the post because “Tracy is a consummate strategist and brings to Trinity comprehensive campaign planning and implementation expertise, as well as strategic skills in donor cultivation.” Like Detterick, Christeson believes “this is a great time to be a part of this amazing place!” She hopes to add value to the institution by building on the past, specifically building capacity in our annual fund efforts, raising opportunities for alumni engagement and connections and developing a plan for strong messaging of the future of Trinity University based on the vision outlined by Dr.
4 Trinity
Trinity to Inaugurate 18th President in October D
ennis A. Ahlburg will be officially inaugurated as Trinity’s eighteenth president on October 21-22, 2010. In deference to the uncertain economy, Ahlburg asked that the occasion be kept low key and relatively informal. Timed to coincide with Alumni Weekend festivities, the inaugural events will allow broader access and give many alumni the opportunity to meet the new president and participate in the event. The occasion will be marked with music and an all-campus picnic on Thursday, October 21. Friday’s festivities will include a luncheon for delegates and special guests followed by the formal investiture in Laurie Auditorium at 2 p.m. A post-inaugural reception will take place immediately following the ceremony on the lawn surrounding the Hepworth sculpture, “The Magic Stones,” in front of Coates Library. For more information, visit www.trinity.edu.