University of North Carolina Athletics
Montgomery Sets Lofty Goal For Foundation Endowment
February 13, 2001 | Extra Points
Feb. 13, 2001
John Montgomery takes over as new Educational Foundation president on March 5 with ambitious goals for the Foundation's part of the impending Carolina First Campaign.
Carolina First is a university-wide campaign with a goal of $1.4 billion. Montgomery would like to see Carolina's athletic fund-raising organization have the largest endowment in the nation following the campaign. The target currently would be Stanford's endowment, which is well in excess of $200 million.
"The potential is there for Carolina to be No. 1," says Montgomery, who will come to Chapel Hill from his current post as Associate Athletic Director for Development and External Affairs at Southern Methodist University. "We hope to make significant gains not only in the endowment but in annual membership numbers and annual money raised."
Montgomery will succeed Moyer Smith, who is retiring after 15 years as the chief executive of the Foundation.
Montgomery has been responsible for major gifts and annual fundraising for SMU athletics since June 1996. He directed the capital campaign that resulted in $57 million of gifts and pledges for the construction of the Gerald J. Ford Stadium and the Paul B. Loyd Jr. All-Sports Center.
Since 1995-96, giving to annual programs at SMU has increased from $1.3 to $2.3 million, and giving to capital projects and endowments has grown from $294,000 to $6.1 million.
Montgomery is a native of Pembroke, Va., and graduated in 1981 from Radford University. He has worked in external relations in athletics at his alma mater and UNC-Greensboro.
"If you've worked in higher education and athletics for 17 years, the opportunity to come to Carolina is very attractive," says Montgomery, who'll move with his wife, Sharie, and two sons, 11-year-old Ryan and eight-year-old Patrick. "I'm excited to be a part of the rich tradition and heritage of Carolina."
