Hardy latest to go By Matt Kapko Eye Reporter The Arcata Eye March 11, 2003 Unexpected changes in the administration at Humboldt State University seem to come more often than the changing of schedules for students. Maggie Hardy recently resigned from HSU as director of university advancement, just a year-and-a-half after she began the position. Hardy left to take a position as executive director of the California Coast Foundation, a statewide organization that works to preserve California’s coastline through preservation and education measures. She begins her position there next week. The organization is fairly new to the state and plans to have a representative from each of the state’s 15 coastal counties to work with the commission. Hardy’s background is in environmental studies and she described the move as “very, very exciting.” Replacing her for the time being as interim director of university advancement will be Debbie Goodwin, senior advancement officer. Goodwin joined the HSU staff last April, but is no new face to the greater community. Goodwin worked for five years as the executive director of the Humboldt Arts Council and the Morris Graves Museum of Art. She also is currently an advisor to North Coast Dance, the HSU Natural History Museum, and the North Coast Cultural Trust. Goodwin faces many challenges and ongoing developments in her new position. The office of university of advancement has been the source of much scrutiny and disappointment for the university in recent years. When former director of university advancement, John Sterns, was charged with seven counts of felonies in early Sept., 2001, HSU soon found itself in a time of financial uncertainty. Sterns later plead guilty to nine felony counts, among which he faked $15 million in donations to HSU and stole more than $65,000. In its scramble to recover, HSU hired Hardy to takeover Stern’s position as director of university advancement. She immediately responded to the audit, made staff changes, some administrative changes and reorganized university advancement. “What we’ve tried to do in the last year is clean up the mess and really lay a solid foundation for each of the programs we want to implement for university advancement and for the university,” she said in an interview in late January. When Hardy came on board a year and a half ago, she saw two areas that needed more immediate attention: “To have the gifts processed in a focused organized manner where we can track all the gifts, and to start prioritizing our fundraising needs on this campus.” HSU established a gift processing center – an independent unit on campus where all gifts are now processed. By tracking all fundraising on campus, Hardy says “it really creates a check and balance for the money that is raised – that we did not have before; and that is a huge step.” Hardy also recently coordinated a fundraising priority task force, where by collective process, HSU is deciding what programs and projects it wants to raise money for. “It represents all facets of the campus,” said Hardy of the task force, comprised of 22 members from departments and HSU President Rollin Richmond. By consolidating its interests and not scattering its energies, Hardy believes when the project concludes in June it will help determine where the university is going and where it wants to go. HSU began actively fundraising for the first time since the reorganization in August, 2002. Hardy explained, “We had to repair the mistakes that had been made and start fresh literally from ground zero, and we’re doing it right. With (Richmond’s) help, it’s making all the difference.” So, exactly what difference have all these changes made? In just more than six months, from July 1, 2002 to Jan. 15, 2003, HSU received $895,127, including gifts and monies from annual funds. More current numbers have yet to be provided by the university. In retrospect, it reported $2,168,744 in fiscal year 2002; $3,174,000 in fiscal year 2001; and $2,861,000 in fiscal year 2000. Hardy acknowledged that the current figures are lower than previous years, but noted many external forces that are playing a factor in such a result. Has HSU’s trust been restored – within the community and beyond? Hardy says yes. “Slowly we’re rebuilding those relationships and having the time to do it. Some things you can’t rush. Nothing good happens fast, right?” Home