Scott Nelson, a veteran fundraiser and respected industry leader, joined Arizona State University as the Senior Associate Athletics Director of Sun Devil Athletics and Executive Director of the Sun Devil Club in August of 2016.
"Scott stood out immediately to all of us from a group of very impressive candidates," Ray Anderson, Vice President for University Athletics, said. "While he certainly has an impressive resume, it's his demeanor, character, maturity, and passion that made us so sure he would be the perfect fit for the culture we are building within Sun Devil Athletics."
Nelson comes to the Sun Devils with more than a decade of experience in collegiate athletics development and has made stops at UCLA, Ohio State University and Oregon State University during his career. He will report to Gretchen Buhlig, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at the ASU Foundation, and Rocky Harris, Chief Operating Officer at Sun Devil Athletics, and work closely with the Sun Devil Club Board of Directors.
"Scott's enthusiasm and desire to build strong partnerships with his colleagues across the university as well as throughout Sun Devil Athletics is what made him stand out among an extremely competitive candidate pool," Buhlig said. "We believe Scott has both the leadership and development skills coupled with an impressive background to lead the Sun Devil Athletics advancement team and Sun Devil Club to the next level in fundraising."
Nelson will provide leadership for the Sun Devil Club and the ASU Foundation athletics development staff, and oversight of all fundraising initiatives within Sun Devil Athletics, including managing capital campaign projects, securing major gifts, annual fund, letterwinners, and enhancing donor relationships, as well as deliver meaningful collaboration and communication with constituents across the community.
"I'd like to thank Ray Anderson, Gretchen Buhlig, Rocky Harris and Rick Shangraw for the exciting and humbling opportunity to join the innovative culture of ASU," Nelson said. "This forward-thinking mentality became apparent through the hiring process and should inspire Sun Devils everywhere. I look forward to joining the tremendous Sun Devil Club team that is in place to ensure the best days for Sun Devils Athletics are in our future. To our current and future supporters of the Sun Devil Club, thank you for all you do in support of ASU Athletics and our student-athletes. Together we are transforming lives."
Prior to joining ASU, Nelson spent four years at Oregon State University, including most recently as the Associate Athletics Director for Development. While at OSU Nelson was responsible for capital projects, scholarship endowments, sport-specific fundraising, and planned gifts.
Nelson was a Director of Development at Ohio State University and part of a team that raised more than $81 million across a two-year period, the most successful two-year run in Ohio State history. His contributions included major facility enhancements for a basketball practice facility expansion, an indoor golf practice facility, and outdoor tennis facility, among other projects.
Nelson served as the Assistant Director of the Wooden Athletic Fund at UCLA where he played a role in increasing the annual fund, supporting a major capital campaign, and enhancing restricted giving for Olympic sports. He helped grow income from the Wooden Athletic Fund by nearly $2 million from $6.5 million to upward of $8.2 million, worked to secure gift commitments to back the renovation of historic Pauley Pavilion through the $100 million Campaign of Champions, and contributed more than $1 million to team operating budgets with strategic handling of the annual funds for 20 Olympic sports.
Nelson graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and sports management, and earned a Master of Education in intercollegiate athletic leadership at the University of Washington. He is a native of Colusa, Calif., and his wife, Lindsey, is from Brawley, Calif.
"Scott stood out immediately to all of us from a group of very impressive candidates," Ray Anderson, Vice President for University Athletics, said. "While he certainly has an impressive resume, it's his demeanor, character, maturity, and passion that made us so sure he would be the perfect fit for the culture we are building within Sun Devil Athletics."
Nelson comes to the Sun Devils with more than a decade of experience in collegiate athletics development and has made stops at UCLA, Ohio State University and Oregon State University during his career. He will report to Gretchen Buhlig, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at the ASU Foundation, and Rocky Harris, Chief Operating Officer at Sun Devil Athletics, and work closely with the Sun Devil Club Board of Directors.
"Scott's enthusiasm and desire to build strong partnerships with his colleagues across the university as well as throughout Sun Devil Athletics is what made him stand out among an extremely competitive candidate pool," Buhlig said. "We believe Scott has both the leadership and development skills coupled with an impressive background to lead the Sun Devil Athletics advancement team and Sun Devil Club to the next level in fundraising."
Nelson will provide leadership for the Sun Devil Club and the ASU Foundation athletics development staff, and oversight of all fundraising initiatives within Sun Devil Athletics, including managing capital campaign projects, securing major gifts, annual fund, letterwinners, and enhancing donor relationships, as well as deliver meaningful collaboration and communication with constituents across the community.
"I'd like to thank Ray Anderson, Gretchen Buhlig, Rocky Harris and Rick Shangraw for the exciting and humbling opportunity to join the innovative culture of ASU," Nelson said. "This forward-thinking mentality became apparent through the hiring process and should inspire Sun Devils everywhere. I look forward to joining the tremendous Sun Devil Club team that is in place to ensure the best days for Sun Devils Athletics are in our future. To our current and future supporters of the Sun Devil Club, thank you for all you do in support of ASU Athletics and our student-athletes. Together we are transforming lives."
Prior to joining ASU, Nelson spent four years at Oregon State University, including most recently as the Associate Athletics Director for Development. While at OSU Nelson was responsible for capital projects, scholarship endowments, sport-specific fundraising, and planned gifts.
Nelson was a Director of Development at Ohio State University and part of a team that raised more than $81 million across a two-year period, the most successful two-year run in Ohio State history. His contributions included major facility enhancements for a basketball practice facility expansion, an indoor golf practice facility, and outdoor tennis facility, among other projects.
Nelson served as the Assistant Director of the Wooden Athletic Fund at UCLA where he played a role in increasing the annual fund, supporting a major capital campaign, and enhancing restricted giving for Olympic sports. He helped grow income from the Wooden Athletic Fund by nearly $2 million from $6.5 million to upward of $8.2 million, worked to secure gift commitments to back the renovation of historic Pauley Pavilion through the $100 million Campaign of Champions, and contributed more than $1 million to team operating budgets with strategic handling of the annual funds for 20 Olympic sports.
Nelson graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and sports management, and earned a Master of Education in intercollegiate athletic leadership at the University of Washington. He is a native of Colusa, Calif., and his wife, Lindsey, is from Brawley, Calif.