Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Amy Blackbourn Receives NAADD's 2024 Jason Galaska Rising Star Award
3/27/2024 2:00:00 PM | General
CLEVELAND – On March 27, the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) announced the recipients of its 2024 Awards and Northwestern's Amy Blackbourn, Associate Director of Major Gifts and Premium Seating, received the Jason Galaska Rising Star Award.
"On behalf of the NAADD Executive Committee and the members we serve, I would like to congratulate all of the NAADD Award Recipients" said Ryan White, NAADD President and executive director of the Razorback Foundation at the University of Arkansas. "This year's selection process was extremely competitive which is a testament to the great work being done across the country. I look forward to celebrating these individuals and their accomplishments at the upcoming NAADD convention in Las Vegas."
The 2024 NAADD Award recipients are: Amy Blackbourn, Associate Director of Major Gifts and Premium Seating, Northwestern University; NAADD Lifetime Achievement Award, Tom Coffman, Former Associate Director of Athletics for Development and Planning, Senior Associate Director, Duke University; College Fundraiser of the Year, Tom Carroll, Associate VP for Advancement/Deputy AD, St. Mary's; and University Fundraiser of the Year, Josh Whittenburg, Associate AD of Development, SMU.
Jason Galaska Rising Star Award - Amy Blackbourn
Amy Blackbourn is a highly accomplished professional in the field of athletics development, currently serving as the Associate Director of Major Gifts and Premium Seating for Northwestern Athletics since April 2023. In this pivotal role, she plays a frontline position in securing major gifts that significantly contribute to the success of Northwestern Athletics. Amy is responsible for identifying, cultivating & soliciting major gifts of $100k to $1M by managing a portfolio of approximately 75 prospects annually. Her responsibilities extend to serving as the department liaison to the Legends team, a crucial partner in ticketing sales, and the New Ryan Field Campaign. Blackbourn oversees both current and future premium seating sales in Welsh-Ryan Arena and New Ryan Field while assisting in the strategic planning and execution of Wildcat fund annual solicitation. Before assuming her current role, Blackbourn initially joined the athletics development team at Northwestern in November 2021 as the Associate Director of Leadership Giving. Amy was responsible for soliciting gifts to the Wildcat Fund, the unrestricted annual fund for Northwestern Athletics, capital projects, new initiatives and collaborating on strategies to maximize support for Northwestern Athletics while hiring and onboarding the Legends team.
Amy's impact has been profound and wide-ranging. Her strategic vision, coupled with her ability to forge meaningful relationships, has not only elevated Northwestern's fundraising efforts but has also helped to position NWU for long-term success.
About NAADD: NAADD is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities, enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics, and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of athletics development and fund raising. For more information about NAADD, please visit www.naadd.com. NAADD is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 59th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
"On behalf of the NAADD Executive Committee and the members we serve, I would like to congratulate all of the NAADD Award Recipients" said Ryan White, NAADD President and executive director of the Razorback Foundation at the University of Arkansas. "This year's selection process was extremely competitive which is a testament to the great work being done across the country. I look forward to celebrating these individuals and their accomplishments at the upcoming NAADD convention in Las Vegas."
The 2024 NAADD Award recipients are: Amy Blackbourn, Associate Director of Major Gifts and Premium Seating, Northwestern University; NAADD Lifetime Achievement Award, Tom Coffman, Former Associate Director of Athletics for Development and Planning, Senior Associate Director, Duke University; College Fundraiser of the Year, Tom Carroll, Associate VP for Advancement/Deputy AD, St. Mary's; and University Fundraiser of the Year, Josh Whittenburg, Associate AD of Development, SMU.
Jason Galaska Rising Star Award - Amy Blackbourn
Amy Blackbourn is a highly accomplished professional in the field of athletics development, currently serving as the Associate Director of Major Gifts and Premium Seating for Northwestern Athletics since April 2023. In this pivotal role, she plays a frontline position in securing major gifts that significantly contribute to the success of Northwestern Athletics. Amy is responsible for identifying, cultivating & soliciting major gifts of $100k to $1M by managing a portfolio of approximately 75 prospects annually. Her responsibilities extend to serving as the department liaison to the Legends team, a crucial partner in ticketing sales, and the New Ryan Field Campaign. Blackbourn oversees both current and future premium seating sales in Welsh-Ryan Arena and New Ryan Field while assisting in the strategic planning and execution of Wildcat fund annual solicitation. Before assuming her current role, Blackbourn initially joined the athletics development team at Northwestern in November 2021 as the Associate Director of Leadership Giving. Amy was responsible for soliciting gifts to the Wildcat Fund, the unrestricted annual fund for Northwestern Athletics, capital projects, new initiatives and collaborating on strategies to maximize support for Northwestern Athletics while hiring and onboarding the Legends team.
Amy's impact has been profound and wide-ranging. Her strategic vision, coupled with her ability to forge meaningful relationships, has not only elevated Northwestern's fundraising efforts but has also helped to position NWU for long-term success.
About NAADD: NAADD is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities, enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics, and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of athletics development and fund raising. For more information about NAADD, please visit www.naadd.com. NAADD is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 59th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
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