The WSUFAE recently welcomed Doreen Fast, who is stepping into the role of administrative assistant for our principal giving team. She brings ample experience from years of serving in support roles at higher education and research foundations.
A Kansas native, Doreen lived in the Chicagoland area before returning to Wichita to be closer to family. When she’s not working, she enjoys shopping, walking, and spending time with friends, family and her rescue cat, Snickers.
Welcome, Doreen!
Help us welcome our newest administrative assistant, Shari Tasker, to the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement! Having previously worked as an administrative assistant at an elementary school, Shari joins our team with ample experience. She will provide support to several directors on the development team.
In her off time, Shari enjoys reading, spending time with her family and friends, and gardening. She says, “I am excited to be a part of a mission-driven organization that is committed to supporting student success.”
Join us in welcoming Sydney Taylor to the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement! Sydney is stepping into the role of website specialist for the WSUFAE marketing team. As a two-time alumna, she is excited to connect other alumni, donors and friends with Wichita State and contribute to the growth of Shocker Nation for future generations of students.
Outside of work, Sydney enjoys watching all things Star Wars with her dog, Maddix, and cat, Ubba. An avid reader, she likes to thrift juvenile books and early editions of classics.
Welcome to the team, Sydney!
We are thrilled to welcome our newest team member, Juliet Salinas!
A WSU graphic design alumna, Juliet says she is excited to return and support her alma mater. She will be stepping into the role of graphic designer. Supplied with previous experience working at a local marketing agency, she will be invaluable to our marketing team, where she will help create and refine branded materials to support initiatives across the organization.
Outside of work, Juliet enjoys spending time with her dog, going on bike rides and catching up on movies.
Welcome to the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement, Juliet!
Meet Telly McGaha: A passionate advocate for the power of education
Telly McGaha was born and raised in rural Kentucky, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Louisville and a Master of Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University. While his educational journey may look traditional, his background is anything but. Growing up, his parents made sure a college education was in his plans, despite themselves having never graduated from high school. His father dropped out to serve his country in the Marines, and his mother left her schooling to work, helping her own mother support their family.
“They both instilled in me the value of education because they knew it could change the trajectory of my life,” McGaha says. “My parents knew nothing about the college application process, let alone what a FAFSA was or what pursuing four years of college really meant.”
Despite that, they knew higher education would set him up for success, and McGaha had teachers, counselors, professors and advisors who helped him along the way. While in college, McGaha participated in an exchange program in Montpellier, France, where he helped work on and plan for the 1998 World Cup; and a language immersion program in Kyoto, Japan. Both experiences were made possible because of the generosity of donors whose scholarships lightened the burden of student loans.
“Scholarships are really a vote of confidence in your potential, and they enabled me to experience the world and the education of other cultures in a whole new way,” said McGaha.
As he was deciding on a career path after college, McGaha looked to his past experiences. Having worked a variety of odd jobs throughout his undergraduate, he realized the fulfillment he found working for a non-profit, and so he returned to college to pursue master’s degree in public administration with a focus on non-profit management.
“I had found that work to be really rewarding,” he remembers. “It was tough, but I enjoyed it, and I felt there was value in the work of helping build up a community and helping people improve their lives.”
From there, McGaha dipped his feet into community development and found a “baptism by fire” in the work of federal funding. Despite the complexity, he thrived in the challenge of learning how to work through the mechanisms of writing grants and the programmatic side of ensuring the grant commitments were accomplished.
That experience led him to a similar job working to secure federal funding for a non-profit in Baltimore, but after a few years, he was looking to learn something new. He pursued an opportunity with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, which offered a chance to start working directly with foundations and individuals.
“That experience,” McGaha says, “is when it really started to click.”
One of the linchpins in McGaha’s path toward major gift fundraising was a series of conversations with a donor who wanted to remove barriers to education for youth in underserved areas of D.C.
“It was one thing to work with foundations on gifts or government grants, but to work with people who were giving away their own money, who were passionate and wanted to have an impact on others’ lives, that was rewarding in an entirely different way,” he says.
From there, McGaha sought out opportunities to do more major gift fundraising and eventually found himself returning to the world of higher education; still learning, but no longer a student. He took a role as a senior director of development at the University of Louisville, followed by a role at Georgia State University as associate vice president, then interim president, of university advancement.
Now, McGaha has joined Shocker Nation as the president and CEO of the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement, bringing his passion for continued education and advocacy with him.
“My experiences have helped me understand the challenges and, for many, the barriers that come with higher education,” he says. “It’s one of the things that drew me to this opportunity at Wichita State. WSU’s focus on ensuring higher education is within reach for everyone really appealed to many of the reasons I’ve spent my career working in development for the past 25 years. I am standing on the shoulders of what my parents and other donors did for me, and I hope to pay it forward and inspire and encourage others to pursue their education and be advocates of its power to change lives.”
Wichita State Foundation and Alumni Engagement announces new president and CEO
Since its establishment in 1965, the Wichita State University Foundation and Alumni Engagement (WSUFAE) has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing the university’s priorities. In May 2023, Elizabeth King announced her plans to retire as the WSUFAE president and CEO after 33 years of leading these efforts. Telly McGaha will be assuming this top position, joining us from Georgia State University.
“We extend a warm welcome to Telly as the next leader of the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement team,” says WSU President Rick Muma. “His proven dedication to advancing university priorities aligns seamlessly with the history of collaboration between WSU and the foundation and alumni team. We look forward to achieving new milestones as we continue supporting the mission of Wichita State.”
McGaha most recently served as interim president of the GSU Foundation and co-interim vice president for university advancement at Georgia State University. Under his leadership, he has supported the launch of a $750 million capital campaign, overseen a $5 million merger with another foundation, and collaborated with GSU’s board of trustees, university leadership, and the University System of Georgia on the recent closure of a $33 million real estate transaction. Between 2021 and 2023, he also led a team of 20 development officers to achieve the three highest fundraising years in the university’s history.
“I am deeply honored and excited to join Wichita State University as the president and CEO of the Foundation and Alumni Engagement,” says McGaha. “As a first-generation college graduate myself, the university’s commitment to accessible education and innovation stood out to me immediately, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the continued growth of WSU. I look forward to collaborating with the incredible team to elevate our impact and contribute to the university’s success.”
Telly will join the WSUFAE team on Feb. 12 and will work alongside Elizabeth for a short period to allow for a smooth transition into the position. March 1 will be King’s official last day.
The search for new leadership of the WSUFAE began in July, following King’s retirement announcement. The search committee was led by Lynn Nichols, chair of the WSUFAE Board of Directors, and Jay Smith, chair-elect, with guidance from the Bryant Group and these additional advisory members:
“Over the course of this search, we met with many candidates from across the country to find the best fit for this position, and we truly believe that Telly is the right person,” says Nichols. “Not only does he have an extensive history of fundraising experience, he also has the gift of collaborative leadership, which is exactly how the university and WSUFAE have created their longstanding success.”
With many exciting WSU projects on the horizon, including construction of the downtown Wichita Biomedical Campus, renovations to Wilkins Stadium and Cessna Stadium, and ongoing access and affordability initiatives within each academic college, the entire team at the WSUFAE is looking forward to welcoming Telly McGaha to Shocker Nation.
