Dr. Trudy Lee, vice president of University Advancement and executive director of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, will retire Aug. 31, 2022.
Lee took on the role in an interim capacity beginning in 2018 and then was later named to the position in June 2020. Her appointment was for a two-year term, ending June 30, 2022. Lee has agreed to remain in the role through August as the University is currently in the search process for a replacement. She has been with the Foundation since 2001.
“It’s bittersweet,” says Lee. “I work with the best people. The Advancement team, our volunteer boards, the University faculty and staff, and most especially our donors who truly want to make a difference in the lives of students. It’s been a privilege to work with them to help them make that difference for students for more than two decades. As much as I treasure what I do as a profession, I am very much looking forward to retirement and spending time with my family.”
The Southeast Missouri University Foundation has had record giving levels the past two years under Lee’s leadership. The Foundation raised close to $8 million in fiscal year 2021, at the time the highest yearly total since the conclusion of the last major giving campaign in 2015. The Foundation surpassed that milestone in fiscal year 2022, raising $10 million in private revenue.
“I am appreciative of Trudy’s years of dedication to SEMO, and I value all she has done for our students,” said Dr. Carlos Vargas, president of Southeast Missouri State University. “Trudy has made a lasting impact at Southeast. Her expertise in working with donors has had transformative effects on countless students who may otherwise not have been able to pursue their educational and career goals.”