David Ripple of Wayne State University in Detroit is slated to start as the OSU vice president of development May 5, pending approval of the OSU Board of Trustees.
Credit: Courtesy of OSU
A new position at Ohio State will combine two former roles into one.
David Ripple of Wayne State University in Detroit is slated to start as the OSU vice president of development May 5, pending approval of the OSU Board of Trustees.
OSU spokesman Gary Lewis said the position is a replacement for others.
“We actually combined two former associate vice president roles into the vice president role,” Lewis said in an email. “Brian Hastings held one and he left in September of 2012; Floyd Akins was the other and he left in December of 2012.”
Hastings is currently the president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation, according to the foundation’s website.
Akins is employed at the University of Tennessee, according to its directory.
Ripple’s salary is set to be $375,000, OSU spokeswoman Amy Murray said.
Wayne State spokesman Matt Lockwood said Ripple earned a $230,000 base salary with a $35,000 bonus at Wayne State.
Ripple is currently vice president of development and alumni affairs and president of the Wayne State University Foundation at Wayne State.
His role at OSU is set to include overseeing the central fundraising staff, as well as partnering with OSU academic leaders and their development teams and collaborating with volunteer leaders to increase fundraising for the university. Ripple will work under Michael Eicher, OSU senior vice president for advancement and president of the OSU Foundation, according to the release.
Eicher said Ripple will work closely with the university’s “But for Ohio State” campaign, which started in 2012 and aims to raise $2.5 billion by 2016. As of Jan. 31, the campaign had raised more than $1.8 billion, according to its website.
“David is a seasoned fundraiser, a proven manager and a values-driven leader,” Eicher said in a released statement. “His depth of experiences and ability to build and execute an integrated fundraising strategy are critical as Ohio State continues to focus on the importance of increased philanthropic support.”
Ripple oversaw the end of Wayne State’s fundraising campaign “Wayne First,” which raised $500 million, when he became vice president in 2008, according to the release.
Ripple said he is excited to start at OSU.
“I am honored to join the Ohio State University at this exciting moment in the institution’s history,” Ripple said in a released statement, sent in an email from Lewis. “I grew up a Buckeye fan and am excited to come to Ohio, which many of my extended family already calls home.”
