Cross joins university Advancement team

NEW PALTZ — Sally J. Cross will join Advancement Division of the State University of New York at New Paltz as the director of major gifts.

Cross selection culminated a national search. The director of major gifts is responsible for identifying individuals, corporations and foundations who may have an interest in supporting the university.

“All public universities, including New Paltz, rely more and more on private funding to support programs and provide scholarships,” said L. David Eaton, New Paltz vice president for enrollment management and chair of the search committee. “Sally Cross has an outstanding track record of cultivating donors in higher education and other non-profit environments.”

Cross comes to New Paltz from Portland State University in Oregon, where she was the development director for the university s College of Engineering and Computer Science. While there, she led the planning and execution of several major fundraising initiatives, including donor cultivation, solicitation, annual campaigns and stewardship. In four years, programs she oversaw raised $7.8 million dollars.

Before her tenure with Portland State University, her experience included work as the political director and director of development with the Oregon Natural Resources Council, an adjunct instructor for fundraising, and fundraising consultant. She earned her bachelor s degree in 1981 at Columbia University s Barnard College.

“I m excited by the opportunity to join the Advancement team at New Paltz,” she said. “The university offers outstanding programs and I look forward to my role in expanding the private support base that allows these programs to flourish.”

Cross and her husband, Mark Hahn, will be relocating to the Hudson Valley in September. She will begin her new role at New Paltz in early October.