After nationwide search, BSU Foundation hires alumna president

MUNCIE, Ind. (WANE) - Ball State University Foundation announced Ball State alumna Cheri E. O'Neill as the foundation's new president and CEO.

The foundation O'Neill will oversee was founded in 1951 and has grown to include assets worth $200 million with a governing board of 31 members. O'Neill will be the fourth CEO since the organization's founding.

"Ball State opened my eyes to the world. As an English major, I fully expected to earn my Ph.D., teach literature and write the great American novel. But an internship in Ball State's admissions office set me on a higher-education path that's helped me serve thousands of students, raise millions of dollars, engage countless alumni and literally travel the world as an ambassador for higher education," O'Neill said.

O'Neill is a native of Anderson, Ind. and graduated  from Ball State in 1989. She has 23 years of higher-education work under her belt and serves as executive director of Alpha Chi Omega national women's fraternity. She recently spearheaded a the largest fundraising campaign in the fraternity's history.

O'Neill began her career in high-education at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in her home town of Anderson. She also worked for Indiana University in several capacities including director of the undergraduate program, development director, and international recruiter for the Kelley School of Business. 

O'Neill will begin her new position on January 1, 2013.

The Ball State University Foundation ’s primary function is to provide maximum sustainable support for Ball State University. The foundation has become a vital financial partner for the university, providing more than $292 million in support for programs and buildings, which have added academic, cultural, entertainment, and economic value to the university and community. Future gifts such as bequests, life insurance policies, property, and life income plans have grown to more than $90 million