Cayla Brown | News Editor
From Print [Sep. 30, 2014] | Legacy

In the little gray house with red shutters across First Capitol from LU’s main campus is the office of Jessica Gatewood, new director of corporate relations. As a former director of BidPal, Inc., a startup to serve nonprofits, Gatewood applied to LU after a friend and now co-worker, Rachel Douchant, “raved about Lindenwood.” Gatewood said she was impressed with LU. “The deans are very passionate, the students are so bright and everyone really seems to enjoy the university.”

In a press release, Susan Mangels, vice president for institutional advancement, said Gatewood’s work will benefit LU’s fundraising programs. It would make internship sponsorship and adult enrollment opportunities better known. Having worked in the private sector, Gatewood believes she can apply her experiences to business development at LU. “The university and corporate relations is like a big puzzle and I am trying to find the matching pieces,” she said. Gatewood spends a majority of her time on campus meeting with individual groups and attending job fairs.

She sees a desire from outside companies to recruit students and hopes this will allow for more opportunities for students in the future. Gatewood said her first two weeks have been productive and she hopes to continue the momentum. “I am moved by Lindenwood University’s mission statement and would invite students to take their place as responsible citizens of a global community, enriching their chosen profession with the value-centered education they earned,” said Gatewood.