Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Michael R. McPherson is the new director of Mississippi State's annual giving program.
The former Terry resident comes to the land-grant university from Belhaven College, where he has served as director of alumni relations and development services. A Yazoo City native, he holds bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from the Presbyterian Church-affiliated institution in Jackson.
McPherson also has held positions in the state capital as human resources director for the Morris Corp., registered financial adviser with Prudential Insurance Co., and audit and training coordinator with Mapco Petroleum.
"Mike brings a wealth of experience to the MSU Foundation," said major gifts director John Rush. "He will be a great asset as he works directly with our alumni association, where gifts to the annual fund automatically activate their membership."
The MSU Annual Fund traditionally focuses on gifts up to $10,000.
McPherson also will oversee the university's telefunding center that employs some 30 MSU students to make telephone solicitations of alumni and friends of the institution. In addition to solicitations, center staff members work to update alumni association records during the contact process.
Rush said the MSU Annual Fund is designed to "provide an avenue through which donors can support any area of Mississippi State on a continual basis." Gifts may be specifically designated for a college or school, academic department, scholarship fund, or any other area, he added.
Annual Fund support also directly impacts Mississippi State's standing in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" rankings. Among major criteria used by the publication to determine a university's score is alumni satisfaction, which is measured by the percentage of alumni contributing consistently to the annual fund.
"The greater the participation rate is for alumni and friends in the annual fund, the higher the ranking will be for Mississippi State," Rush said.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information on the MSU Annual Fund or its new director, contact Rush at 662-325-7000 or rush@foundation.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.