Rodney H. Adams Endowment Management Award Recipients

2020

Craig Woody, University of Denver (retired)

Craig Woody recently retired from the University of Denver as senior vice chancellor for business and financial affairs and treasurer after a 35-year tenure. Under Woody, the University of Denver’s endowment ballooned from $25 million to more than $700 million. He helped to lead the creation of the university’s spending policy as well as the foundational analysis and implementation of its UPMIFA compliance. Woody also used his expertise to benefit the business officer profession as a whole. He frequently helped plan the NACUBO Endowment and Debt Management Forum and presented at the inaugural NACUBO Fellows Program meeting. He served on, and later chaired, the Research Universities Council.

2019

Elizabeth "Libby" George, North Carolina State University

Among her many accomplishments, Libby developed the NC State Foundation's Sustainable Responsible Impact Fund in 2014. In conjunction with this initiative, she has created and delivered numerous conference and workshop sessions on the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) best practices—including a session at the 2019 NACUBO Endowment and Debt Management Forum in New York City, where she received her award in February. In addition to her work on socially responsible investing, George manages and directs more than $1.2 billion of university investment portfolios in short-term, intermediate-term, charitable giving, and long-term endowments. George serves on the editorial committee for The Investment Institute, a North Carolina organization dedicated to education on the latest developments and trends in the financial marketplace. She has been a speaker at institute meetings as well as meetings of NMS Management and the Intentional Endowment Network. 

2018

Sally Staley, Case Western Reserve University

Sally Staley, who recently retired after 15 years at Case Western Reserve University (OH), received this award at the 2018 Endowment and Debt Management Forum in February. Staley served as Case Western’s chief investment officer, overseeing an in-house investment staff of six, managing $1.8 billion of globally diversified endowment and trust assets, $150 million of deferred benefit pension assets, and $1.7 billion in deferred compensation retirement plans. Staley also was chair of the Endowment and Debt Management Forum planning committee from 2015–16.

2015

Lawrence E. Kochard - University of Virginia Investment Management Company

2014

Don Fehrs - Evanston Capital Management

2013

Verne Sedlacek - Commonfund

2012

Scott Malpass - University of Notre Dame

2011

Jack Rich - Abilene Christian University

2010

Douglas Phillips - University of Rochester