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VP of College Advancement to leave MHCC but will lose bike commute
The Advocate
Cassie McVeety, vice president of college advancement and executive director to the MHCC Foundation, will leave MHCC in late May for Pacific University in Forest Grove.
McVeety said in an interview Thursday that the president of Pacific University contacted her around early March.
In an e-mail sent to the Executive Committee in mid-March, McVeety said the president of Pacific University approached her in early March. She said she accepted the offer a week before the e-mail was sent. She will start at Pacific on June 1.
"I was recruited to the position of vice president of university advancement at Pacific University. It was an unexpected recruitment, not a job I was looking for. I was not looking to leave Mt. Hood Community College — I love being here," said McVeety, adding that the president of Pacific University made her "an offer she couldn't refuse."
"It's a great opportunity to be at the university and help lead their $100 million (fundraising) campaign, which is my forte," said McVeety of her new job, adding that the $100 million would be used for endowments, buildings and services for university students.
"The previous vice president had left to take another job last fall, so they (the Pacific University administration) had done a search. They hired a search firm to do the search and for whatever reason they weren't finding the right candidates, so they went after people they know in the fundraising and advancement community," said McVeety.
"I guess you could say I was sort of recruited. It's very flattering. Makes my mom feel nice," she added.
She also said that she will work with MHCC President Michael Hay about the timeline of her leaving and added that she has committed to stay at MHCC through the 40th annual Foundation Auction and Dinner on May 19.
Asked why McVeety decided to leave MHCC, Director of Communications Maggie Huffman said, "People do this all the time in their careers. It's perfectly natural."
Huffman said no decision has been made about replacing McVeety, who has been with MHCC for three years in the same position.
"We (the administration) don't know yet, it's totally undecided. Really, it's just unknown," said Huffman, adding that she never speculates.
McVeety said that the question of her replacement would be with Hay, but that he is busy with the budget proposal to the board next week. She added that she let Hay know about the recruitment from Pacific as soon as she knew.
"It is sad to see (McVeety) go," said Wendy Patton, executive assistant to McVeety. "It has been great working with her," Patton said, adding that she is happy for the opportunities for McVeety at Pacific University.
Patton said she learned much from McVeety and her professionalism, learning to grow as an individual employee. She was always given support when wanting to take classes, attend training sessions, and given the opportunity to grow.
In the e-mail sent to the Executive Committee, McVeety mentioned the 20 percent growth of the MHCC Foundation since she started at MHCC, adding that the foundation provided students with about $250,000 in scholarships and $122,000 in MHCC-related projects and equipment last year.
McVeety also said in her e-mail that she will always maintain a "deep affection for and commitment to the mission of Mt. Hood Community College," and that her admiration and respect for her staff at the Office of College
Advancement and the MHCC Foundation is "unwavering."
"It's a really significant accomplishment that we were able to raise more money in a time when there is not a lot of money going around," she said.
One change McVeety will have to adapt to will be the change in work location. She said she commutes by bike most days to MHCC in a 22-mile round-trip from where she lives in Rocky Butte, but that the ride to Forest Grove would be too long and that her "hair wouldn't stay straightened during the ride."
McVeety said she was recruited in May 2009 by then-MHCC President John Sygielski while she was a guest at the Foundation Dinner and Auction.
"At the time I was the vice president at Portland State, and he said, 'I'm looking for a you' and 'I want to create a position just like you have at PSU at Mt. Hood'," adding that at the time MHCC didn't have a vice president level of college advancement. She also said that Sygielski was wearing a crazy costume.
Huffman said of McVeety, "She has been an outstanding leader, proponent of the college and supporter of students. It has been a joy working with her. The whole department (Office of College Advancement) will miss her."
According to Patton, McVeety created a team environment where she made everyone feel on equal terms. McVeety was always supportive of her fellow employees, did a "great job supporting all the employees" and "wanting the best for the college overall."
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