Dr. Ed Davis '67, president of the Texas A&M Foundation, and Susan Kubik, vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of Northampton Community College Foundation, have been selected as the 2008 winners of the CASE Commonfund Institutionally Related Foundation Awards.

The awards recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement, quality and effectiveness of their foundations and the community of institutionally related foundations as a whole. Institutionally related foundations are private, nonprofit corporations that cultivate and manage private resources to support the missions of the colleges, universities and university systems with which they are affiliated.

Davis and Kubik were honored April 16 during ceremonies at the Don CeSar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, Fla.

Davis has served as president of the Texas A&M Foundation for 14 years. Under his leadership, the Foundation successfully completed two major fundraising campaigns, including One Spirit One Vision, which raised more than $1.5 billion. Davis has guided the Foundation's growth from an institution with $236 million in assets to a nationally recognized foundation with total assets in excess of $1.3 billion. In 2006, Davis took a one-year leave of absence to serve as interim president of Texas A&M University. The experience gave him insight into the relationship between university and foundation presidents, which he has shared with other foundation leaders. John Stropp, senior vice president for administration and operations with the Texas A&M Foundation, says Davis has dedicated his professional life—more than 35 years—to higher education and that he has made “lasting contributions" to this field.

Kubik joined the Northampton Community College Foundation in Bethlehem, Pa., in 1975. Since then she has overseen a number of successes—including building the one-person advancement shop to a staff of 28 and establishing an endowment valued at $22 million with total assets of more than $32 million. In addition, Kubik has directed a number of successful campaigns, including the most recent Promises to Keep, which raised $14.2 million—$5.5 million more than was predicted by a feasibility study. Brenda Babitz, president of Monroe Community College Foundation, notes that Kubik's enthusiasm for the profession, willingness to mentor young professionals and provide counsel to colleagues make her a "paragon among foundation executives."

The awards are underwritten by Commonfund, a nonprofit corporation with more than 1,800 members and more than $40 billion in assets under management. Commonfund provides fund management services and investment advice to educational institutions, hospitals, foundations and other nonprofits.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is one of the largest international associations of education institutions, serving nearly 3,400 universities, colleges, and independent elementary and secondary schools in 55 countries. CASE is the leading resource for professional development, information and standards in the fields of educational fundraising, communications and marketing, and alumni relations.