March 22, 2023

Dear Colleagues,

Today I’m happy to announce that Derek Dictson will join the Colorado State University community as our new Vice President for University Advancement. Derek comes to us from New Mexico State University, where he serves as Vice President of University Advancement and President of the NMSU Foundation. He will begin his new role here on May 1.

At NMSU, Derek oversees the university’s teams for fundraising, operations, alumni relations, real estate, external relations, and endowment management. Before that, he worked in development leadership roles at Auburn University and Texas A&M, as well as in management positions in the private and nonprofit sectors. Derek is an ambitious leader with two decades of successful fundraising and management experience. He brings a track record of surpassing goals, mentoring exceptional teams, and collaborating across campuses and communities.

He is also committed to service through nonprofit and government boards and commissions, and to advancing democracy through his volunteer work as an international election observer for the US State Department and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Derek earned his master’s degree in public service and administration from Texas A&M and his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and economics from NMSU.

I look forward to seeing the strides Colorado State’s talented University Advancement team and Derek will make together as they spearhead upcoming advancement initiatives. Their work partnering with campus units, galvanizing our supporters, connecting with alumni, and developing new relationships will continue to advance a sustainable, exciting future for CSU.

As we anticipate Derek’s arrival, I’d like to express sincere appreciation to Karen Dunbar and Rudy Garcia for their joint service in filling this role on an interim basis. Over the past year, Rudy and Karen provided stability and unwavering commitment through this time of transition. I am also grateful to all of you who contributed time and expertise to the search process. Special thanks go to search chair Joe Parker and to members of the search committee.

In addition to this appointment, I want to report other progress on building our leadership team. We are getting closer to launching national searches for a VP for Research as well as for a permanent provost/executive vice president. Top candidates for VP for Human Resources will visit campus in the coming weeks. I will continue to provide updates on these searches.

Keep your eye out for a feature in SOURCE about Derek, and please join me in welcoming him to the university community.

– Amy

Amy Parsons

President
Colorado State University