Once in a while, you can go home again. Dr. Bill Sheehan Jr. and his wife, Wendy, certainly believe that. And so does Central Methodist University President, Roger Drake.
Drake announced Thursday that Sheehan has been hired as Central’s vice president for advancement and alumni relations. He starts in his new role as a member of the senior staff February 10.
“We are excited about Bill coming back home,” said Drake. “We’re looking forward to seeing his leadership in action. His success is well-documented, and he and his wife are just natural fits for Central.”
Both Sheehan and his wife are Central alums. And both worked at the institution in the 1990s. They are currently finishing up their responsibilities at Culver-Stockton College in Canton where Dr. Sheehan serves as vice president for advancement and his wife is the women’s golf coach.
“To say that we’re excited is an understatement,” Sheehan said. “Central has done so much for us and is ingrained in our family and our hearts. I’m passionate about Central and I look forward to advancing the mission of the institution.”
Dr. Sheehan has had great success in higher education advancement and has worked in development for 23 years. Most recently he led the highly successful Changing Lives campaign at Culver-Stockton.
“We’ve surpassed the $32 million mark and that’s 125 percent of our goal with two years left in the campaign,” Sheehan said.
Sheehan attributes the success of the campaign to generous donors who believe in the mission and leadership of the institution, and he looks forward to having similar success at CMU.
Prior to his work at Culver-Stockton, Sheehan spent three years as vice president for institutional advancement at Westminster College in Fulton, and he spent seven years as associate vice chancellor for development at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Sheehan also worked two years as executive director for development and alumni services at Columbia College.
In 1997, Sheehan earned his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Missouri, where he also received his master’s. He earned his bachelor’s in 1984 at Central.
Sheehan looks forward to his own homecoming -- to join the team at Central and lead the advancement efforts at his alma mater.
"I look forward to connecting and/or reconnecting with CMU alumni and friends," he said. "What an honor it is to be able to serve Central Methodist University and help continue the trajectory of success and legacy of the institution for years to come."
Wendy shares in the homecoming excitement as well. She will be an assistant men’s and women’s golf coach at Central. Wendy started the women’s program in 1992.