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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dean Announces New Department, I am pleased to announce the establishment of a new Cathedral office, the Department of Membership & Development, which will combine the Cathedral’s Development Department and the National Cathedral Association (NCA) under the able leadership of Ray A. Foote, the current director of the NCA. Effective June 10, he will become Senior Director for Membership & Development and will continue to report to the Executive Director for External Relations. For decades these two vital operations have worked side-by-side, although separately, complementing each other’s efforts to raise funds and make friends for Washington National Cathedral. Now, with a unified organization, we can even better expand our circle of friends and supporters nationwide. By bringing Development and NCA functions under one department, I am confident we can increase philanthropic support, volunteer leadership, and member participation for this National House of Prayer for All People. The department will maintain offices on the Cathedral Close in Sayre House, named for former Cathedral Dean Francis B. Sayre. This more integrated and seamless enterprise will ensure consistency of our core messages and realize considerable synergy in such vital areas of campaign planning, annual giving, volunteer leadership recruitment, stewardship strategies, prospect research, and event planning. I have appointed Ray Foote to lead this newly integrated operation. Over the past two plus years he has dramatically strengthened the NCA, not only with a marked increase in membership, but also increased membership retention, recruitment of nationally recognized volunteer leaders, and enhancement of NCA programs such as State Days and pilgrimages. The NCA will continue to serve as the Cathedral’s primary “friends group” nationwide. Prior to joining the Cathedral staff in February 2000, Ray was vice president of Scenic America with responsibilities as the chief development officer. Previously he served as the corporate marketing manager for the National Trust for Historic Preservation where he also held positions in both corporate relations and development. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. and M.A. in American and English history. He has served on the board of directors of Earth Share, a national federation promoting workplace giving, and he currently serves on the advisory board of Scenic Virginia and the capital campaign steering committee of his home church, St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church in Burke, Virginia. A search is currently underway to hire a new NCA director who will report to Ray Foote, serve as a member of the Dean’s Senior Staff, and continue to manage the NCA staff. Nathan D. Baxter May 30, 2002 |