Assistant Vice President
E-Mail: jp.blair@wku.edu
Phone: (270) 745-3399
Fax: (270) 745-5300
John Paul Blair, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement
for Western Kentucky University, is in his eighteenth year as a higher
education advancement professional. Following his graduation from WKU
in the Spring of 1992, he accepted Campbellsville University’s Director
of Development position. During his nearly five-year tenure, he helped
lead a successful comprehensive campaign through completion 66% over goal
and increased the University’s annual cash flow by 102%.
In 1997, he accepted a director position with his alma mater and completed
a Master of Education degree in Vanderbilt’s Higher Education Administration
program with an emphasis in Institutional Advancement. Now, more than
thirteen years into his work at WKU, the University is achieving unprecedented
fund raising success. Most notable are a more than 600% increase in annual
cash flow to $17 million and successful completion of the university’s
first comprehensive campaign raising $102 million (31% over goal). Currently,
he is playing a leadership role in WKU’s $200 million campaign with
more than $164 million raised and nearly two years remaining.
Professionally, John Paul has received several honors including being
a part of 39 awards from CASE (the Council for Advancement and Support
of Education) and receiving the Beth K. Fields Service Award in 2007 for
“years of dedication and service to both higher education and the
institutional advancement profession, and for unprecedented achievement
in fund raising”. Speaking of CASE, he has served at the international
level, is a past member of the CASE District 3 Board of Directors, and
past president of CASE Kentucky.
John Paul’s wife, Leslie (WKU ’92), is a fourth grade teacher in Bowling Green and they have a twelve year-old son, John Robert, and a seven year-old daughter, Margaret Grace.