A Different Purple | Institutional Advancement

Stephanie Council

Alumni Engagement Coordinator
[email protected]
254-968-9682

Shad Hanselman

Assistant VP for Engagement and Advancement Services
[email protected]
254-986-1756

Shad Hanselman joined the Institutional Advancement Team as Assistant Vice President for Engagement and Advancement Services in August of 2021.

As part of the Leadership Team to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Shad provides leadership and strategy for the Tarleton Alumni Association, Office of Annual Giving, and Advancement Services Office. Shad also co-manages Tarleton’s Forward Together capital campaign.

Shad is an experienced fundraising professional dedicated to advancing the art and science of advancement. Since 2005 he has focused his career on analyzing development and scrutinizing longstanding fundraising traditions in order to develop a new advancement philosophy along with solutions to evolve and elevate engagement and fundraising.

Before coming to Tarleton, Shad spent four years as the Vice President for Fundraising Product Strategy at Ruffalo Noel Levitz where he helped usher in AI-powered intelligence and integrated omnichannel engagement in higher-education advancement. He previously spent more than a decade leading higher education annual giving programs including stints at Western Michigan University, Northern Illinois University, and most recently as the Assistant Vice President of Development Advancement with the ASU Foundation for a New American University at Arizona State University. In the later role, Shad and his team pioneered giving days, crowdfunding, recurring credit cards, and personalized videos.

Mr. Hanselman holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Michigan State University. He is married to Kate Hanselman, a Consultant for the Banner Health System. The two live in Stephenville with their daughter, Kaylee.

Michael Gilstorf

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development
[email protected]

Gilstorf comes to Tarleton after spending the last eight years at West Virginia University, where he served as a major gifts officer and was promoted to Director of Development for the athletics department.

In his role with the Mountaineers, he contributed to receiving commitments of over $100 million in capital support for facility projects. Gilstorf was a key contributor in planning and organizing the $100 million 'Climbing Higher' athletics facility campaign and he secured the largest seven-figure gift in the history of the WVU gymnastics program.

In addition to major gifts, Gilstorf collaborated with the Mountaineer Athletic Club (MAC) team to assist in growing the annual fund and raising over $120 million. He also oversaw the $50 million athletics endowment program, which grew by $13 million during his eight years in Morgantown. He also assisted donors with annual fund contributions, season tickets and parking requests while also serving as the fundraising liaison to the gymnastics and rowing teams.

Prior to his time at West Virginia, Gilstorf spent over two years at East Carolina University as the Assistant Director of Development for the Pirate Club. During his time at ECU, he helped raise a two-year record $13 million of annual fund donations. He oversaw 15 regional chapters by managing annual fund renewals for each chapter and redesigned the 'Young Grad' program and watched it grow over half in his two-year tenure.

Gilstorf broke into the industry with the University of Tennessee – his alma mater – as an athletics development assistant, where he raised money for the annual fund and played a key role in facility capital campaigns. As an undergraduate student in Knoxville, he was a manager for the men's basketball team. He received his bachelor's degree from Tennessee in sociology and a master's degree in sports management from West Virginia University.

A native of Perrysburg, Ohio, Gilstorf and his partner, Jennie, are the parents of two children, Grace and Gabriel.

Jennifer Colley

Assistant Vice President for Development
[email protected]
254-459-5461

Jennifer Colley joined the Institutional Advancement Team as Assistant Vice President for Development on June 1, 2021.

As part of the Leadership Team to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Jennifer will provide leadership and strategy for all university fundraising activities, oversee the major gifts team, work with all businesses/foundations interested in supporting Tarleton philanthropically, and help manage all capital campaigns.

Prior to joining the team at Tarleton State University, Colley served as the Executive Director/Associate Athletics Director of The Frog Club at Texas Christian University where she was responsible for all aspects of the annual fund. The team raised $13 million in annual funds and over $28 million in overall giving while successfully completing a $60 million fundraising goal in six months for the Amon G. Carter Stadium Expansion Project. She also served on the Advancement Leadership Team and the Internal Committee for Campaign Planning for TCU’s $1 Billion Campaign.

Colley’s prior experience includes 22 years of service with The Longhorn Foundation at The University of Texas where she was responsible for all external relations of The Longhorn Foundation including gift solicitation, donor relations, annual giving campaigns, special events, volunteer boards and providing customer service strategies to maintain over 12,000 donors giving over $36 million. She directed and increased membership for 10 statewide public relations clubs established to build a pipeline of donor prospects and engagement. She served on the team responsible for developing The University of Texas Intercollegiate Athletics Strategic Plan.

Colley earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Tourism Management from Northeastern Oklahoma State University. She is married to Dr. Terry Colley who retired from the State of Texas as the Deputy Executive Director of the Texas Historical Commission. They have two grown children, Travis and Kate, and make their home in Stephenville.

Gabe Cagwin, Ph.D.

Vice President, Institutional Advancement
[email protected]
254-968-9890

Dr. Gabe Cagwin, who joined Tarleton State University in September, serves as the new Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

As part of Tarleton’s Executive Cabinet, Gabe will provide strategic oversight to development and fundraising, advancement services, alumni engagement and university event management.  One of his main goals will be to lead and bring a new perspective that will help us launch the largest capital campaign in our school’s history. Our goal of raising $100 million will enhance access, opportunity and innovation at Tarleton.

Prior to joining Tarleton, Gabe was a member of Arizona State’s leadership team since 2012, where he started as the Associate Athletic Director, was promoted to Senior Associate Athletic Director, and then a year later, promoted to Chief Business Development Officer.  He oversaw the fundraising campaign for the $306 million Sun Devil Stadium renovation, managed all capital campaigns, helped manage ASU’s 330-acre Athletics District to monetize university land and provide assets for the community, increased donor count from 8,500 to over 16,000, and took their fundraising from raising around $8M a year to consistently topping $46M annually with a high of $86M.
Before joining ASU, Gabe served as Director of Major Gifts at UCLA and was then promoted to Assistant Athletic Director where he lead their $135 million campaign to renovate Pauley Pavilion.  He also had stints at Penn State University and University of Tulsa.

Gabe played Division I basketball at the University at Buffalo, where he graduated magna cum laude with his Bachelor’s degree in 2002, his Master’s degree in higher education in 2004, and then his Ph.D. in higher education administration in 2006, all from the University at Buffalo.  He and his wife Angela have 2 boys, Cash and Caden, who are 26 months and 7 months old.

New Tarleton AVP Moves to Stephenville from TCU