Sawyer named ECC Foundation exec director

Katherine Sawyer, the new executive director of institutional advancement and the Elgin Community College Foundation, took a nontraditional path that led to her current position.

Early in her career, Sawyer worked for some of the largest technology companies in the world, including Motorola, NEC and 3Com/USRobotics.

But Sawyer felt her calling was elsewhere.

“I needed to do work of the heart,” said Sawyer, who held a similar position at Harper College in Palatine. “I’m a bleeding heart, so I transferred to nonprofits.”

She started at the American Cancer Society, where she served as regional vice president, overseeing western Cook and Lake counties.

Sawyer will use her 24 years of business and fundraising experience to secure financial resources to help students successfully complete their education.

“I have become very impassioned about the community college mission,” Sawyer said. “I believe we have an educational crisis in this country, and community colleges have a big role to play in addressing that.”

Sawyer previously served as the associate executive director for the Harper College Educational Foundation, where she worked with major donors who supported student scholarships and innovative college programming.

“She is a seasoned professional with a passion for student success and higher education,” ECC President David Sam said in a news release. “I have no doubt she will lead the ECC Foundation in achieving its strategic goals and objectives in the upcoming years.”