Resignations by three key Macalester administrators threaten to nullify recent successes in Macalester's fundraising efforts.

Richard Ammons, Vice President of College Advancement, became the third Macalester executive to announce his departure. He and President Mike McPherson will leave Macalester in May. Tom Wick, former Associate Vice President for Development, took a job at Harvard University last December.

Donations account for approximately one-tenth of the Macalester's annual income. Because Macalester makes an effort to significantly limit administrative employment, the departures could increase the workload of an already lean staff. The resignations of Ammons and Wick could be especially damaging to alumni fund-raising because Wick and Ammons maintain good relationships with important donors.

While Annual Fund Director Heather Riddle-Kimm believes that the resignations could have an effect on this year's fund-raising efforts, she is still cautiously optimistic that the fund will meet its goal of 2 million by the end of the fiscal year in June. With $1.23 million in donations and $367,000 in pledges so far this year, the Annual Fund staff is less than $500,000 from its goal.

Due to its small staff, the Alumni Fund solicits donations only from past-donors. Riddle-Kimm worries that the departure of Wick and Ammons may delay ideas to tap non-donors as well. According to Riddle-Kimm, when the Annual Fund staff recently contacted a non-donor by accident, he contributed $1000.

Macalester will not fill Wick or Ammons' positions until the Presidential Search Committee selects a replacement for President McPherson. In a January 29 memorandum updating the community about the ongoing search, the committee's chair, David Ranheim, wrote that the plans call for candidate interviews in April, with finalists visiting the campus in May.

As long as Wick and Ammons' positions remain unfilled, Macalester will look to volunteers and trustees to help fill the gaps.