Advancement’s Ellen Fultz set to retire on April 18, 2022

Ohio University’s Division of University Advancement announces the retirement of the Office of Development’s Ellen Fultz.

Fultz, who serves as the assistant vice president of Principal Giving & Stewardship, is retiring April 18, 2022, after nearly 35 years of service to the University.

“Ellen’s impact on Ohio University — its students, faculty, programs, alumni, and donors — over three-and-a-half decades cannot be overstated,” said Vice President for University Advancement and President & CEO of The Foundation Nico Karagosian. “It’s rare for an advancement professional to serve at a single university for the whole of their career. That Ellen has done that for OHIO not only has deepened relationships with alumni and donors, but also has provided an example of service and leadership for colleagues and peers. The Advancement team has been made better by Ellen’s service. Her influence will resonate long past her retirement.”

Ellen began her Ohio University career in September of 1987 when she was hired to manage the phonathon (outbound alumni call center) program during the University’s Third Century Campaign. She worked in various Annual Giving roles until the early 1990s, when she became a development coordinator supporting fundraising in the College of Arts and Sciences. In 2002 —during the University’s Bicentennial Campaign — she was promoted to that college’s assistant dean for development and, in July 2007, was promoted to its senior director of development. 

Ellen shared that during this time she began to work closely with storied University benefactors and leaders and learned that the work of development is, at its core, about two things: 1) genuine relationships, and 2) impact on the University and its students. 

While in the college, Ellen enhanced alumni outreach by creating new opportunities like Pre-Law Day, which continues to bring accomplished OHIO graduates who are attorneys back to Athens to engage with students.

In December 2007, Ellen was promoted to executive director of development. She served the Development team in an executive director role for 14 years — including throughout The Promise Lives Campaign — in various leadership roles including supporting scholarship fundraising, special projects, university-wide initiatives, and constituent programs. 

In her central leadership role, Ellen worked on numerous projects and initiatives that demonstrate her commitment to the power of relationships and philanthropy’s impact on students, faculty, and communities. 

She worked closely with Cutler Scholars Program leadership and Advancement colleagues to help reimagine and ensure the program’s future. 

Ellen also secured funds to establish the Performing Arts in Education Fund, which brings in artists to perform in Memorial Auditorium, to do programming in area schools, and to provide master classes for Ohio University students. She describes working with the donor on this gift as one of her proudest achievements “because (through this fund) the greater Athens community is provided access and outreach to all kinds of arts programs that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise,” she said. “There will be some student somewhere who sees one of these performances and it changes their life.”

In her leadership role, Ellen has mentored numerous Ohio University fundraisers, and has valued watching those individuals learn, grow, and succeed. “I hope I’ve played some small part in their success,” she says.

In the fall of 2021, Ellen was named assistant vice president of Principal Giving & Stewardship.

Following Fultz's retirement, Dawn Tabata (tabata@ohio.edu) will serve as acting assistant vice president of Principal Giving & Stewardship in the Office of Development into fiscal year 2023. Dawn will work in close partnership with Senior Associate Vice President of Advancement Major Alston, Senior Director of Donor Engagement Jacqie Weber, and Associate Director of Donor Recognition & Volunteer Engagement Misti Smith to maintain the forward momentum of this talented and valued team.