Chestertown, MD, December 22, 2003 — The Washington College Office of Development and Alumni and Parent Relations has announced the appointment of two new staffers this December. E. Deal Tompkins will join the department as Director of Major Gifts and alumnus Gehrett W. Ellis '93 assumes the position of Assistant Director of Alumni & Parent Relations.
Tompkins is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA, and has done extensive masters program work at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He currently resides in Roanoke, VA, and will relocate to the Chestertown area.
Bill MacIntosh, Vice President for Development and Alumni and Parent Relations, noted that Tompkins' 30 years of experience in higher education, especially his extensive development activities at small liberal arts colleges, will boost the College's advancement efforts in the area of major gifts.
“Deal brings a broad professional background to our Development Office, ranging from admissions to planned giving and major gifts,” said MacIntosh. “We very much look forward to working with him and to his future successes here.”
After earning his B.A. in psychology from Randolph-Macon College, Tompkins started his academic career as a teacher in Roanoke, VA, followed by positions in admissions at Randolph-Macon. Following a five-year stint as owner and president of the family's hardware business, he began in earnest his higher education fundraising experience with planned giving and capital and planned gifts positions at Randolph-Macon and later at Sweet Briar College. His responsibilities at Washington College will include the identification, cultivation and solicitation of major gifts prospects, providing stewardship to this constituency, managing a significant portfolio of major donors, devising development strategies for prospects and current major donors, and working closely with the other senior members of the Development Office. He starts in February 2004.
In addition to Tompkins, alumnus Gehrett W. Ellis '93 has been welcomed to the WC Development team as the Assistant Director of Alumni & Parent Relations.
“I know he is very eager to work for Washington College at this time and he will be a welcomed addition to our office,” said Eleanor Shriver Magee '93, Director of Alumni & Parent Relations.
Ellis earned a B.A. in humanities from Washington College in 1993, graduating with departmental honors and achieving honors on his thesis. At graduation, he received the Clark-Porter Medal, awarded annually by the faculty to the senior whose character and personal integrity have most clearly enhanced the quality of campus life. As a student-leader, he served on the Student Conduct Council, the Senior Class Gift Committee, and was a member of The Elm staff. Upon completing graduate work at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, Ellis began a successful career in the technology/internet industry and served as project and product manager for companies in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, where he worked for CDNow, the former number one online music retailer. In addition, Ellis has done considerable volunteer work, fundraising and publicity for the creative and fine arts community of Philadelphia. Most recently, Ellis lived in England pursuing interests outside of the technology/internet industry. Ellis' duties will include organizing and managing the College's phonathon, overseeing the matching gift program, event planning, and constituent relations. He assumes his duties in January 2004.
“I welcome both Deal and Gehrett to our team,” said MacIntosh. “They join Washington College at a very exciting time, and their energy and efforts will greatly contribute to the unprecedented growth we are experiencing.”
