In his 73 years, Dr. Clark W. Townsend touched many people, mingling his passion for education with a gift for fundraising.
Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Townsend not only helped Green River Community College become the top-flight school it is today, but he was also active nationally in resource development for the community college world.
Townsend, 73, died Saturday, June 11, of pancreatic cancer.
The college will celebrate his life from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., July 2 in the main dining area of the Lindbloom Student Center.
George Frasier, executive director of the GRCC Foundation, called Townsend’s legacy “huge.”
“There’s been a couple folks in my life, in my professional career at the YMCA, and here at the college that are on my short list of what I call ‘legends.'” Frasier said. “He’s one of them.”
A graduate of Lower Columbia College in Longview, Dr. Townsend earned a masters and a Ph.d from the University of Washington.
During his career, he channeled his many talents to fund development and leadership training. He directed GRCC development program and took the GRCC foundation from the ground floor to its current position as one of the model community college development programs in the United States. The National Council for Resource Development, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges, recognized this fact when it selected GRCC as the 1992 model for its development program.
“When he started putting the GRCC Foundation together, foundation work was not something that was done at community colleges; it was a completely new gig,” Frasier said. “And now it’s a rare community college that doesn’t have a foundation. I think you can put Clark at the forefront of leaders across the country who saw the value in having a private, nonprofit fundraising or development arm attached to a community college, just like all four-year schools have.”
Dr. Townsend also directed major gift campaigns, a competitive grants program, planned gifts, annual fund drives and negotiated numerous real estate gifts. He developed and directed the management of endowment funds.
Man of many skills
In addition to his development responsibilities, he had broad experience in labor contract negotiations, labor relations, conflict resolution and human resource management.
Dr. Townsend spent 33 years in higher education as a faculty member, counselor, human resources director and then 26 years as assistant to GRCC’s president. In last 10 plus years of his life, he worked as a fundraising consultant for community colleges and other non-profits.
He presented fundraising leadership training to the Association of Community College Trustees, the American Association of Community Colleges, and the national conferences of the League of Innovation. He also presented at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and The National Council for Resource Development.
In 1990, the Washington State Community College Administrators Association honored him with its Leader of the Year award. In addition, Lower Columbia College recognized him in 1994 for its Alumni Hall of Fame. He served as the 1996 National President of the National Council of Resource Development and held numerous other leadership positions in that organization.
Dr. Townsend was a past President of Auburn Rotary and chaired the district Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program. He served on the Kent and Auburn chamber of commerce boards and was a member of the Northwest Development Officers Association, the National Society of Fundraising Executives, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the National Council for Resource Development.
In 2007, Clark was recruited to help with the establishment of the Puyallup Fair Foundation, a non profit dedicated to educational, historical, and preservation elements of the iconic Puyallup Fair. Launched in April 2008, the Puyallup Fair Foundation in a short time raised $2 million in a highly successful founders campaign, which Clark directed. Today, the Fair Foundation is a thriving nonprofit, a tribute to Dr. Townsends talent, determination and leadership in the field of fundraising.
Dr. Townsend also helped Harmony Hill, a cancer retreat center on Hood Canal, raise $6.5 million dollars to add additional buildings to their campus. He worked on this campaign as a volunteer.
Friends say he was known as well for his wit and his many puns.
He is survived by his wife, Pamela Townsend, his daughter, Kirsten Bell, his son, Dan Townsend, his sister, Ann Remy, and his brother, James Townsend. He leaves behind six adored grandchildren.
