Murray Blackwelder, vice president for External Affairs, was recently appointed to the ISU Foundation Board of Governors although he will be leaving Iowa State Friday.

Blackwelder will become senior vice president for advancement at Purdue University on July 1. Blackwelder is the former president of the ISU Foundation and played a key role in raising funds for Iowa State.

He said he does not see his position on the Board of Governors as conflicting with his position at Purdue.

“I personally don’t think there’s a conflict,” he said. “I want to help the Foundation anyway I possibly can.”

Blackwelder said he will serve on a board of 216 governors, which differs from the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors had 16 members but will have 19 members starting this year because of bylaw changes.

“There’s a big difference between 16 directors and 216 governors,” he said. “You have to realize the difference between the Board of Directors and the Board of Governors. This is a purely advisory group.”

However, as a governor Blackwelder will be able to vote on 12 of the 19 Board of Director members.

Laurent Hodges, professor of physics and astronomy, said he does see the potential for a conflict of interest in Blackwelder’s appointment to the Board of Governors.

“It does not make sense to me that one of their governors should be a fund-raiser at another Midwestern land-grant institution,” Hodges said.

Blackwelder said he meets the criteria for governor membership, which includes attending one or two meetings a year and giving a minimum amount of $15,000 over a 10-year period to the Foundation.

Both Blackwelder and Warren Madden, vice president for Business and Finance, were appointed to the Board of Governors at an ISU Foundation meeting June 8. Of 16 new appointees, Blackwelder is the only who is not an ISU alumnus.

Although Blackwelder leaves Iowa State at the end of the week, he said he wants to help the Foundation in any way he can.

“I’m honored and flattered to be appointed an ISU governor,” he said. “I’m excited about the future of the Foundation.”

Of his appointment to the Board of Governors, Madden said he is a major donor to the Foundation and will continue to serve in that capacity.

“I think I’m one of a number of Iowa State faculty and staff members that, because of both their time, resource and talent commitments that have contributed to the Foundation, I was pleased to be nominated to serve as [a] governor in the future,” he said.

Madden said Blackwelder has proven to be committed to Iowa State.

“I think Murray has made a significant contribution to Iowa State during the approximately 10 years he’s been here,” he said. “I think he has a commitment and interest to Iowa State … his expertise will be valuable.”

Madden does not think Blackwelder’s position at Purdue will cause a conflict of interest with his appointment to the Board of Governors.

“I know some people are concerned … that Murray being elected governor is a potential conflict with the fact that he is now going to be an employee of Purdue. I don’t believe that’s a conflict of his responsibilities.”

Madden also said Blackwelder’s fund-raising efforts at Iowa State will not affect his performance either on the Board of Governors or at Purdue.

“Does Murray have knowledge of Iowa State fund-raising programs until now? Certainly, because he’s been vice president for external affairs,” Madden said. “I have very high respect for Murray and don’t believe [that conflict of interest will be] a concern or issue.”

Hodges said Blackwelder’s knowledge of ISU fund-raising strategies make his positions at Purdue and on the Board of Governors questionable.

“He knows far more than you or I about the Foundation and where it’s getting its money, what it’s doing with it and interest rates and so forth,” Hodges said. “These are the people we’re trying to become better than – that’s the term Jischke would always use.”