Rosemary Thomas is Named New State Lead Ambassador for WV

We are thrilled to announce our new State Lead Ambassador for WV- Rosemary Thomas.

Rosemary Michelle Thomas, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement at Davis & Elkins College, was born and raised in West Virginia.  She is a graduate of Clemson University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications.  She received her Masters of Public Administration from the University of South Carolina and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from West Virginia University.

Rosemary grew up in a family that taught her public service was not an option but a responsibility.  She has always been active with community, state and national organizations.  She most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in Washington, D.C. As a fourth generation Clubwoman, she was involved in many levels of leadership in GFWC prior to and subsequent to joining the staff.  

Other affiliations include the United Way, Quota International, The American Legion Auxiliary Girls State and Girls Nation programs, Destination Imagination and Odyssey of the Mind, Kiwanis and Toastmasters.  

Directly related to ACS, Thomas served as a member of the Board of Directors for the South Atlantic Division, as a members of the Nationwide Leadership Training Team for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life, and in many other capacities with ACS through the years. She was a local leader in Marion County as well as in Salisbury, Maryland and throughout the Delmarva region. 

Before leading GFWC for three years in Washington, Dr. Thomas enjoyed a 25-year career in higher education and institutional advancement which began when she was a student at Clemson University.  She worked on the school’s centennial capital campaign and celebration activities and later served as a presidential intern and special events coordinator in the President’s Home and for the Office of Institutional Advancement.  

She was named Alumni Director at Fairmont State College in 1992 and progressed through the ranks as director of development and associate vice president.  She served as Vice President for Advancement at Glenville State Collegefrom 2001-2003.  She was named Vice President and Executive Director of the Foundation at Salisbury University in the fall of 2003.  She rounded out her time on campuses with vice presidencies at both Florida Gulf Coast University and Frostburg State University with keenly successful fund raising, marketing, enrollment management and government relations activities before leading the staff for GFWC. 

Dr. Thomas was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record. She and her team at Salisbury University received the 2008 CASE-Wealth Engine Award for Overall Improvement in Fund Raising. She has led the charge to secure major and principal gifts, totaling well over $100M for capital projects, scholarships and program development.  She served as a founding member of Salisbury’s Town Gown Council and served on the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  She worked closely with the Women’s Fund of South West Florida in the development of their fund raising and marketing strategy and continues to provide counsel to them as a volunteer.  

Returning to higher education and to her home state of West Virginia came about as a result of deep personal connections, her unending respect of academia and her love of the Mountain State. Now serving as Vice President at Davis & Elkins, Thomas is charged with leading the Enrollment Management process as well as the school's Communications and Marketing efforts, Alumni Relations and Development operations. 

She is a nationally recognized speaker and workshop leader on board relations, volunteer management, fund raising and marketing strategies. Her work with leadership development remains a key aspect of her life’s work with leaders of all ages and from all walks of life.

We are excited to have her as our new leader in West Virginia and know that she will continue to do great things for the mountain state!