Setchell to leave DePauw for new post at Whitman College

Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Steven Setchell

Steven Setchell, a 1996 graduate of DePauw University currently serving as its vice president for development and alumni engagement, has been appointed vice president for development and alumni relations at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

Also making the move will be his wife Cara, currently the dean of experiential education and executive director of DePauw’s Hubbard Center for Student Engagement.

“DePauw is, and will continue to be, a place I love and where some of my greatest memories were created, but this is a wonderful opportunity to open a new chapter in our lives,” Setchell said. “Cara and I are deeply grateful to President Kathy Murray for this invitation to join the Whitman College and Walla Walla communities at the doorstep of the Blue Mountains in Washington state.”

Setchell will serve on the president’s cabinet at Whitman with oversight of fundraising and alumni engagement efforts, managing a team that supports the strategic advancement efforts of the college.

“Steve impressed me with his history of success as a fundraiser and his nuanced understanding of the fundraising process,” Murray said. “But more than that, his ability to build relationships and his genuine interest in Whitman and the broader Walla Walla community set him apart from other candidates.

“I look forward to the innovative strategies he will bring to Whitman in the coming years and to our work together,” she added.

Setchell majored in English at DePauw and went on to earn a master’s of public affairs from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Setchell spent nearly three years at Ohio Wesleyan University as associate dean of admission operations before returning to DePauw in 2003 as director of the annual fund. He went on to serve as a major gifts officer, director of corporate and foundation relations and a campaign manager, and also chaired the university’s 175th-anniversary planning committee.

Setchell has served on the board of directors of Beyond Homeless, the Putnam County Community Foundation and Greencastle’s Commission on Sustainability.

In addition to serving as dean of experiential learning and executive director of the Hubbard Center, Cara has served in other roles at DePauw, including as director of residence life, dean of students and as first-year class dean.

“The entire DePauw community gives its thanks to the Setchells -- Steve, a loyal son and leader at DePauw, and Cara, whose quiet strength has had an impact in many areas,” said DePauw President Mark McCoy. “It is with joy and sadness that we see them head west on a new adventure. This is a wonderful new opportunity for them, and they will be missed by their legions of friends and colleagues.”

Setchell is slated to assume his new post on Nov. 1.

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