President & CEO
316 978-5670
telly.mcgaha@wichita.edu
Telly McGaha joined the Wichita State University Foundation and Alumni Engagement in 2024 as president and CEO. In this role, he oversees a team of more than 50 employees dedicated to advancing Wichita State’s mission by deepening connections with alumni, donors, students and university friends through engagement and philanthropy. Prior to joining the WSU community, McGaha served as the interim president of the Georgia State University Foundation and the co-interim vice president for University Advancement, leading fundraising and engagement operations for the university while working directly with the GSU president and Board of Trustees as the institution’s chief development officer.
McGaha has more than 20 years of experience in development and has a passion for the support of university advancement. A first-generation high school and college graduate, he has a keen understanding of the barriers to higher education and the work required to help mitigate them for future generations of students. Throughout his career, he has worked independently and as a team lead to raise more than $250 million, developing major gift programs in higher education, healthcare and social service organizations.
A committed supporter of his local community, McGaha volunteered with a number of nonprofit organizations while based in Atlanta, including the Atlanta Food Bank, Sweetwater Mission and St. Francis Table. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Louisville and a Master of Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University.
McGaha was born and raised in Kentucky, and has lived in Baltimore, Maryland; Cincinnati, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Montpellier, France. He enjoys traveling the world with his partner, Justin Brown. An avid reader, he is quick to recommend historical fiction and post-colonial authors, as well as anything by Emma Donoghue and Marlon James.
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