The tap on Anne Gannaway's shoulder to become the vice president of institutional advancement at St. Ambrose University may have come as a surprise to her, but to the rest of the St. Ambrose community, she was a natural, predisposed fit.
Gannaway began her St. Ambrose career in 2012 as the director of alumni engagement. When she arrived at St. Ambrose, she left behind a well-loved position as director of scholar recruitment for the University of Iowa, where she worked for 6 years. Before that, she held the director of student and alumni services position at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Still, taking on the new role at St. Ambrose was like coming back home in many ways.
A Lasting History & Positive Impact
The tap on Anne Gannaway's shoulder to become the vice president of institutional advancement at St. Ambrose University may have come as a surprise to her, but to the rest of the St. Ambrose community, she was a natural, predisposed fit. Gannaway began her St. Ambrose career in 2012 as the director of alumni engagement, but her affiliation with Ambrose goes back decades.
"You could say I grew up on the St. Ambrose campus," said Gannaway as she listed some of her most impactful memories of being on campus as a young child. Gannaway's father, Edward Henkhaus, is an alum and was the University's vice president of finance for over 25 years. Other fond memories include the day she married her husband, Ethan Gannaway (an associate adjunct professor of history at St. Ambrose and the co-director of the Academy for the Study of Saint Ambrose of Milan) in the campus chapel, Christ the King Chapel, and baptizing their three boys there.
In 2018 Gannaway broadened her comprehensive alumni engagement role when she was appointed executive director of advancement. Within two years, she was appointed interim vice president of institutional advancement, now becoming her acting appointment.
"I will never tire of hearing the stories and experiences of our alumni and reconnecting them with each other and their alma mater," said Gannaway. "The fact that I can help to elevate St. Ambrose and be a small part of transformational change as we create meaningful opportunities to advance the strategic direction of the University is something I am very grateful for."
St. Ambrose University President Amy C. Novak, EdD, highlighted Gannaway's relational skills and her impact on alumni relations. "Anne brings deep experience in building and managing alumni and donor relationships. Her strong leadership acumen, donor-centric approach to development, and her ability to build a team prepared to successfully grow the Ambrose institutional advancement program was evident this past year. Her work already led to improved giving, and her focus on culture has improved philanthropic organizational effectiveness across the University. She brings energy and insight to our philanthropic strategy and a fresh perspective to our cabinet level conversations. I'm pleased to have Anne as a strategic leader in this critical role. "
For more information regarding alumni and advancement events please visit sau.edu/alumni
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