Ruhd appointed to development officer at DSU Foundation

May 16, 2016

Jill Ruhd, annual fund manager for the past six years, has been appointed as a development officer within the Dakota State University Foundation, effective next week. She will be responsible for the cultivation and stewardship of donors with emphases on major gifts and endowed funds.

A Dakota State alumna, Ruhd has provided direction and oversight for the DSU Foundation’s direct mail and phonathon programs, the faculty and staff campaign, and leadership societies during her six years as the annual fund manager.

The announcement was made earlier today on campus by Bob Otterson, vice president for institutional advancement at Dakota State.

“Jill brings six years of experience in annual funds and a lifetime of context to this position,” Otterson said. He noted her successful annual fund plans and her contributions on important initiatives outside the scope of her outlined work. Otterson said Ruhd’s attention to several long-standing endowments has enabled the distribution of additional scholarship funds to students.

“Quite simply, she has earned this promotion,” Otterson said. “Her experiences with the annual programs and with endowments make her a viable candidate for positions at other colleges and universities. Fortunately, she has a strong affinity for DSU and has chosen to work on behalf of this university, its students and alumni.”

Ruhd has a strong family connection to DSU. She completed her bachelor’s degree in 2007 and works as a student caller supporting the annual fund effort. Her mother, Lynette Molstad Gorder, has been on the faculty for 35 years. Ruhd has eleven other family members who are also DSU alumni.

Ruhd and her husband, Tyler, also a DSU alumnus, live in Madison with their two young sons.