Jason Drummond named new ESU Foundation President/CEO
Emporia, KS (01/10/2025) — The Emporia State University Foundation is pleased to announce that Jason Drummond has been appointed its next president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 13.
Drummond brings over 20 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit spaces to the team, with a proven track record of driving transformational change and increasing philanthropic support.
Since 2017, Drummond has been president and CEO of Down Syndrome Innovations, Inc., where he led a merged organization, created three new organizations, oversaw fundraising and construction of the Lifelong Learning Campus and increased the number of people served by the organization by sixfold. Prior to Down Syndrome Innovations, Drummond served in executive leadership roles at the University of Central Missouri, Freeman Health System and MidAmerica Nazarene University.
"I am honored and humbled to join the Emporia State University Foundation at this critical time in higher education," said Drummond. "I look forward to continuing to elevate and support the important work that is taking place at Emporia State. With the leadership of President Hush, ESU has a strong and clear vision for the future, and the ESU Foundation will deepen its commitment to help execute that vision."
Drummond was selected from a nationwide search. The search committee, chaired by ESU Foundation Trustee Denise Kruse, included ESU Foundation Trustees Walter Brown and Colleen Mitchell and ESU representatives Cory Falldine and Steven Rodecap.
"We are excited to have Jason join our team," said Jason Fanning, chair of the ESU Foundation Board of Trustees. "He is an accomplished fundraiser with exceptional team-building abilities. I think his leadership style and strategic vision will be an enormous asset and will be key in leading the foundation's efforts to meet the dynamic and evolving needs of the university."
"I would like to thank ESU Foundation Board Chair Jason Fanning, Trustees Greg Kossover and Denise Kruse and the search committee members for their leadership during this process and the incredible opportunity they have provided me," said Drummond. "I look forward to connecting with the ESU Foundation team, the campus community, the Emporia community and the thousands of ESU donors and alumni."
As Drummond prepares to step into his new role, Fanning also took a moment to acknowledge the leadership of Gary Allerheiligen, who has been serving as interim CEO of the ESU Foundation.
"I would like to thank Gary for his service as the interim leader," said Fanning. "He has ensured the Advancement Staff and Hornet Nation were supported and continued to execute the mission of providing philanthropic support for ESU."
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers a range of academic programs through its institute and seven schools: Applied Health Sciences, Business & Technology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Library and Information Management & Library and Archives, Science & Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts, along with The Teachers College.
As the sole public university in Kansas to be recognized as a College of Distinction for eight consecutive years, ESU stands out for its innovative education practices. It ensures accessible education by offering in-state tuition rates to full-time undergraduate students from all lower-48 United States. Additionally, full-time undergraduates benefit from flat-rate tuition - students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours with at least one credit hour on campus pay a flat rate.
For more information on how to build your future at Emporia State University, please visit www.emporia.edu.
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