Marcus Palas Tabbed to Lead Ram Club Philanthropy Efforts

 
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Marcus Palas, a 2007 Colorado State University graduate and decade-plus veteran in the collegiate development space, has been named Colorado State's Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development, Director of Athletics Joe Parker announced on Thursday.
 
In this role, Palas will lead the philanthropic efforts of the department as the leader of the Ram Club and serve as a member of Parker's 10-member Executive Leadership Team. He will begin his role with the Rams on Monday, May 15.
 
"Throughout this search process, which was as broad as it was competitive, we sought to identify a leader for the Ram Club with a vision of stewardship and relationship cultivation that aligned with the department's vision of Championship Culture," Director of Athletics Joe Parker said. "We found that in Marcus Palas. His familiarity with our campus culture and our state will be key drivers to the growth and evolution of the Ram Club, and we are excited to welcome his family back home to Fort Collins."
 
"I am beyond excited to join the talented team back home at my alma mater, Colorado State," Palas said. "I look forward to re-engaging with our passionate fan base and building lasting relationships throughout our community, from the western slope to the eastern plains, and across the world."
 
"I cannot thank Joe Parker and the hiring committee enough for the trust they have placed in me to lead the Ram Club to new heights. and I especially look forward to moving my family back to the Colorado State community, a place that was so integral to my development and growth as a young college student, and one of the finest universities in America."
 
Prior to returning to his alma mater, Palas spent the past 14 years working at the University of Colorado in various capacities including serving as the Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Director of Development for Major Giving in the Buff Club until May 2021.
 
Since May 2021, Palas has served as a Philanthropic Advisor for the Anschutz Medical Campus' Department of Psychiatry, Johnson Depression Center, and multiple other mental health areas across the campus.
 
During his time in the Buff Club, Palas – who began as an intern with the group in March 2009 following his graduate studies at the University of Northern Colorado – led the eight-member Major Gift Team which was responsible for fundraising principal, major, planned, corporate, and other significant gifts-in-kind. He was also responsible for regional and donor strategy, as well as proposal pipeline and donor portfolio management. Over the course of a 12-year career with Colorado, Palas' growth profile included eight promotions, culminating with his Assistant AD role beginning in 2018.
 
Palas' team was responsible for setting a fundraising record totaling over $26.8 million in FY19, an increase of over 67 percent year-over-year. He also led and expanded the national fundraising program through regional strategies that established parameters and full-spectrum donor interaction for all areas with high-level donor interest. During his time as the Director of Development (2016-18), he assisted in reaching the "Drive for 105" Sustainable Excellence Initiative of raising $105 Million for the construction and renovation of multiple athletic facilities, while also raising the CU Athletics endowment through a current and planned giving emphasis.