Witte heads Coastal Educational Foundation
“My wife Jan and I are excited and honored to become part of the Coastal family,” said Witte. “We have found a very strong feeling of enthusiasm among the students, faculty, staff and friends of the University. I feel very positive about the potential of both the Foundation and the University.”
Witte has led a distinguished career in public service, education and the military. He was vice president for advancement and marketing at Charleston Southern University from 2003 to 2010, where he served as chief administrator for all fundraising and donor relations efforts. From 2000 to 2003 he was chief of staff to Rep. Henry Brown Jr., serving as the congressman’s principal adviser and managing his Washington office and two district offices. Prior to his association with Brown, he worked in various staff positions for Congressmen J.C. Watts Jr., Roger Wicker and Bob Inglis.
Witte served in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer more than 20 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He spent four years in Germany where he commanded a rifle company. Later, he was an instructor at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, where he also served as aide-de-camp to the commanding general. He was a brigade executive officer in Korea in the early 1990s.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from The Citadel. He has an MBA and a master’s degree in contract and acquisition management from the Florida Institute of Technology.
“We are extremely pleased to have such an experienced and capable individual to lead this organization,” said David D. Douglas, chair of the Coastal Educational Foundation. “The board is very confident about the future leadership of the foundation.”
The Coastal Educational Foundation was founded by local citizens in 1954 to advance higher education in the region. The Foundation established the institution now known as Coastal Carolina University and has played a major role in managing its assets and resources. The Foundation seeks financial support through annual gifts, capital campaigns, planned giving and other ongoing fundraising programs in support of Coastal Carolina University.