Whitworth selects Dale Hammond, ’98, as its Director of Alumni & Parent Relations and Annual Giving

Dale Hammond, ’98, will join Whitworth University as its next director of alumni & parent relations and annual giving, replacing Aaron McMurray, ’95, who accepted a position at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Ore., earlier this spring. Hammond will start in his new role July 8.

Hammond currently serves as the director of development and communications at Hospice of Spokane, leading all fund-raising and communication programs. While there, he helped lead outreach and capital campaigns to build Spokane’s first hospice house, a specialized inpatient setting for end-of-life care.

“Beyond his substantial interpersonal attributes, Dale is known and respected in the Spokane region for the ways in which he's advanced the fund-raising, communication, and donor-stewardship efforts for Hospice of Spokane," says Whitworth Vice President for Institutional Advancement Scott McQuilkin, ’84. “I couldn't be more pleased with how the search turned out."

Prior to his current position as director of development and communications at Hospice of Spokane, Hammond served as an account executive at Desautel Hege Communications, a communications firm based in Spokane, Wash. He also held positions at Seattle communications firm PRR and the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, and worked with Mercy Corps, a development organization that helps people around the world survive and thrive after conflict, crisis and natural disaster.

Hammond says that what excites him most about his new role is the opportunity to strengthen the entire Whitworth experience by bringing alumni and parents closer to the campus community than they have been in the past.

“Whitworth isn't just a university,” says Hammond. “Whitworth is an opportunity for students to transform and grow themselves. It's a chance for them to discover their gifts and abilities, and to find exciting ways to apply them to make a difference in the world.”

Hammond holds a B.A. in international studies and political science from Whitworth; he graduated magna cum laude. He is currently completing an M.A. in communication and leadership studies at Gonzaga University, where he’s a member of the Lambda Pi Eta honors society. He is the recipient of several public relations awards, including the Award of Merit from the Spokane Public Relations Council, and the Silver Anvil Award and Totem Award from the Public Relations Society of America.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Scott McQuilkin, vice president for institutional advancement, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4386 or smcquilkin@whitworth.edu.

Lucas Beechinor, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or lbeechinor@whitworth.edu.