FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, January 10, 2008

CONTACT Aubrey Streit, (785) 227-3311, ext. 8274

MEREDITH TO LEAD ADVANCEMENT FOR BETHANY COLLEGE

the Rev. Marwood "Woody" Meredith

LINDSBORG, Kan.—Bethany College has appointed the Reverend Marwood “Woody” Meredith, an ordained Presbyterian  minister with 14 years of experience in development and a successful track record in securing major gifts, as vice president for advancement at Bethany College.
            Beginning March 1, Meredith will provide leadership and supervision in the areas of advancement, special events and communications at Bethany, with the goal of advancing the college’s mission through fundraising, relationship development, marketing and communications. He will report directly to the president and serve as a member of the senior cabinet, while overseeing a staff of six individuals.
            “I am very pleased we were able to attract someone of Woody’s caliber and background to Bethany College. This is a critical position to the future of Bethany, as we work to sustain a high level of annual fund giving and also introduce a more sophisticated major gifts program at the college. Woody’s past success in major giving, planned giving and church relations will help make a difference for Bethany College,” said Bethany College President Edward F. Leonard III.
            Meredith formerly served as vice president of development for Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries, Inc., a Louisiana not-for-profit that provides services to nearly 900 individuals with disabilities in five states. He oversaw the Evergreen Foundation, which is responsible for the ministry’s fundraising, public relations, spiritual care and church relations.
            At Evergreen, Meredith was responsible for all fundraising activities, including writing proposals and soliciting major gifts. He coordinated and implemented a planned giving program while managing a staff of six, including three regional development officers.
            Meredith has a strong background in strategic thinking and planning. From 2003 to 2004, he was vice president for advancement at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. He created, staffed and fully implemented the first advancement program for the divinity school, and developed and wrote a comprehensive $17 million capital campaign plan. He also oversaw church and alumni services, the annual fund, marketing and communications.
            An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., Meredith was head of staff at Ridley Park Presbyterian Church, Ridley Park, Penn., from 1980 to 1994. He then accepted a position as director of planned giving and church relations at Tusculum College, Greeneville, Tenn., his alma mater. Meredith holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and religion from the private, church-affiliated college.
            Meredith earned a Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, where he served as vice president for development from 1998 to 2002. During that time, he managed a successful $30 million capital campaign plan for the seminary.
            At Bethany, Meredith will provide oversight for all college fundraising campaigns, including the current annual-fund campaign and $1 million Pearson Challenge campaign.
            A graduate of the National Planned Giving Institute at the College of William and Mary, Meredith is a former institutional representative to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and former member of the Appalachian College Association Planned Giving Roundtable. He has been a featured speaker and presenter for the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, and at the Oxford Roundtable, Lincoln College at Oxford University.
            Meredith and his wife, Kathy, have three children.
            Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they lead lives of faith, learning and service. Bethany College is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu.

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