Charlotte Rhodes, Vice President of Resource Development and Sustainability at the Amarillo Area Foundation, has announced her retirement effective December 31, 2016. Her tenure marked a period of unprecedented growth for the Foundation. Trent Hill, Vice President at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, has been hired as the Foundation’s new VP of Development.
Charlotte Rhodes, MS, ACFRE joined the Amarillo Area Foundation as Vice President of Regional Services in 2005. In her 11-year tenure at the Foundation, Charlotte cultivated an annual average of $10 million per year, and over $100 million total. She established countless programs and committees, the most notable of which being the Foundationâs External Relations Committee, which focuses on the engagement of the Foundation with local and area leaders; the Womenâs Philanthropy Program, a donor-driven fund designed to meet the needs of children and women in the Texas Panhandle; a Professional Advisor Council, a group of lawyers, accountants and other professionals who provide recommendations and review the Foundationâs fundraising and legal strategies; and the Texas Convening Conferences for Postsecondary Education which gathers key educators and legislators from across the state to discuss issues faced by high school and collegiate students.
âThe Amarillo Area Foundation and its many community leaders, donors and staff provided a unique opportunity for me,â said Rhodes. âThe Foundation serves as a catalyst for many types of charitable gifts that will continue to sustain and build a strong future for the Texas Panhandle.â
Her professional career also includes positions as Vice President of the Don and Sybil Harrington Cancer Center, Senior Director of Development for Baylor College of Medicine and Senior Consultant with the Dini Partners. She frequently provides training and teaches classes in development and fundraising management. She is one of 110 individuals to achieve the designation of Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive and she served on the International Board of the Association of Fundraising Executives for 12 years. In addition, she was recognized as Outstanding Fundraising Professional by the Texas Cities of Houston and Amarillo. Her professional and volunteer work includes service on over 30 nonprofit local, state and national boards and consulting services to over 65 organizations with dollars raised exceeding $1 billion for charitable causes.
Dr. S. Trent Hill was born and raised in Amarillo. Â His father was the principal at Puckett elementary for 30 years and his mother was a dean and senior administrator at WTAMU for many years. Â He received a BBA in Marketing and an MS in Finance, Marketing, and Communication from WTAMU. Â He served in a variety of jobs in the Panhandle after graduation including Director of Operations for Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Director of Economic Development for Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, and Director of Marketing and Personnel at First National Bank of Canyon. Â He later moved to Denton where he received his PhD from North Texas in Higher Education Administration.
Dr. Hill is retiring from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where he served for more than 20 years as Vice President for Institutional Advancement.
âAs a man of faith, this position with the Amarillo Area Foundation will allow me to fulfill a long-time desire to assist non-profits who are on the front lines of meeting human needs, including education,â Hill said.
In his capacity as head of Institutional Advancement, Hill led the activities of the Marketing Department, the Communications and Public Affairs Department, the Development Office, Alumni Relations, Foundations and Scholarships, Advancement Services and Athletics. He also served as adjunct professor in the College of Business. During his tenure, from January 1997 to the present, Hill and his team raised more than $142.6 million for the University.
We wish Charlotte well in her future endeavors and look forward to Dr. Hill joining the Amarillo Area Foundation.
