Athletic Development Council formed

President Welty has formed a new Athletic Development Council of community volunteers to coordinate the work of all current athletics fund-raising organizations.

The announcement comes after a four-month study of all athletic fund-raising programs by a task force established by Welty and chaired by Bill Chaltraw, former president of the Bulldog Foundation and a current foundation trustee.

The task force was composed of members of the Bulldog Foundation, campus and community members, the Green V Association and the Athletic Corporation. It examined the current financial state of the athletic department and all of the various revenue streams comprising its nearly $22 million budget. The task force also reviewed the organizational structure of all the fundraising programs for athletics.  

"The Athletic Development Council will make it possible to significantly improve the financial strength of Bulldog athletics, and allow us to meet the goals of our new strategic plan,” said Athletics Director Scott Johnson. “We want to remain competitive nationally in Division I athletics, and this is a critically important step in that direction.”

Greg Walaitis, associate athletics director for development, will provide principal staff support to the Athletic Development Council, which has adopted the theme of “One Team, One Plan, One Goal.”

 The council members are: Mike Kelton, Bud Richter, Nelson Beazley, Dorothy Hunter, Lee Lockhart, Harry Gaykian, John Wallace, Chris Pacheco, Angie DiLiddo, Dennis Woods, Janice Emerzian, Vern Pletz, Hank Smith, Joe Middione, Bill Chaltraw, Peter Smits and Scott Johnson.

“Creating the Athletic Development Council now makes it possible for all our volunteers and booster groups to work together as 'one team', all working on 'one plan' and all pulling together with 'one goal' to provide more financial support for the entire department,” said Walaitis

The new plan will be implemented over the next few months, with the goal of integrating all funding raising activities by the start of the 2005-06 fiscal year.  The athletics department will implement the plan immediately and will begin working with all support groups to ensure a smooth transition.

 “When we all have the same goals we accomplish a lot together,” Johnson said. “The bottom line is to meet the needs of all student athletes at Fresno State. With everyone working together, it will be easier to meet that goal.”

Fresno State’s Athletic Development Council will:

1. Serve as the principal coordinating body for all fundraising efforts supporting Fresno State athletics;
2. Ensure that there are policies and procedures which will foster the coordination of all athletic fundraising activities and booster group activities at the University;
3. Ensure that there are policies and procedures which will integrate athletic fundraising activities with overall University fundraising;
4. Provide annually to the Athletic Corporation a single, comprehensive and coordinated fundraising plan which outlines all athletic fundraising activities;
5. Review all proposed athletic fund-raising activities and determine if they are consistent with the total athletic fundraising plan.
6. Foster effective communication among all groups which are engaged in athletic fundraising;
7. Ensure that opportunities exist for volunteers to engage in meaningful and useful service to athletics and Fresno State.