In his 20 years at Augusta University, Wes Zamzow has motivated his team to take the university’s philanthropy, alumni engagement and giving campaigns to new heights, starting out as public relations and project coordinator in the Dr. Paulette P. Harris Literacy Center and working his way to executive director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving in Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement.

On Nov. 19, surrounded by family, friends and colleagues both past and present, Zamzow was presented the Outstanding Excellence in Alumni Relations Award by the Georgia Education Advancement Council at its annual conference. 

The council honors higher education professionals in Georgia who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields. The committee looks for consistent service and specific examples of outstanding performance and commitment in the field of higher education advancement.  

Zamzow, who has served in all of GEAC’s leadership roles over the past two decades and currently serves on the awards committee, never saw his nomination. AU’s Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement team worked covertly with the committee, leaving the award a complete surprise. 

“I am so thankful and grateful for all of the relationships I have formed with friends and colleagues from across the state through GEAC. It was a huge honor and a tremendous surprise. I am normally the one doing the surprising,” Zamzow said. “I am truly honored to receive the Outstanding Excellence in Alumni Relations Award. Every day, I am inspired by the mission of Augusta University and the students we serve. It’s a privilege to be part of an institution that is dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of our alumni, students and our community.” 

Helen Hendee, former vice president for development in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations for then-Augusta State, hired Zamzow. It was only fitting that she was the one who was able to present him the award onstage. 

“As I reflect on my wonderful years with AU, I remember the small team we had in Development and Alumni Relations – small but very talented, caring and sharing. We were and still are family,” Hendee said. “One of the best decisions I made during my time was hiring Wes Zamzow. A kid then, I have watched him develop and become an outstanding advancement professional. He loves our alma mater and our people and is a true servant leader. Wes has become a dear friend. He is a star.” In those 20 years, Zamzow has gone from cultivating the alumni association, developing a bi-monthly newsletter for alumni, creating a parent association and establishing a donor identification tracking system to designing an annual giving campaign, collaborating with leaders across campus to develop and execute fundraising strategies that consistently raise over $1 million in support of the university year over year. Early in his career, he introduced the student phonathon program, which ran successfully until the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, his team recently wrapped up its ninth IGIVE campaign. 

“We are so proud and excited to celebrate Wes as he receives this much-deserved honor from the Georgia Education Advancement Council,” said Kristina B. Baggott, interim vice president for development in Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement. “Wes just celebrated his 20-year anniversary with Augusta University, and, throughout all of that time, Wes has been singularly focused on the advancement and growth of our institution and our alumni engagement efforts. The Outstanding Professional in Alumni award is such a fitting recognition for his many years of leadership and commitment to alumni engagement, and we are so happy that he is being honored in such a special way for his hard work.” 

Zamzow frequently works alongside deans, department chairs, administration and faculty to create and implement donor engagement strategies. He also works closely with the Summerville Alumni Society, as well as the various alumni boards in each of the colleges on the Health Sciences Campus. 

“To Wes’s core, he is a true believer in the power of relationships and understanding how they work and developing, cultivating and nurturing relationships to help advance our organization,” said Rhonda Banks, interim associate vice president for philanthropy. “He’s just really good at it, and he genuinely cares about people. He’s made so many strides in these last two decades to improve Augusta University, to improve GEAC and to help it grow, and to provide more opportunity and more resources for people who work in the alumni and fundraising field. He’s an amazing individual, and he cares about this place more than most people you would find.” 

Zamzow considers himself fortunate to work at a university where the leadership is both supportive and deeply invested in its employees’ professional growth and the success of its mission. He said that environment empowers him to do his best every day and keeps him motivated to make a positive impact. 

“One of the greatest joys of my career is working alongside such dedicated and passionate colleagues,” he said. “We truly have a collaborative spirit here at Augusta University, and that collective energy helps us all thrive and create opportunities for alumni.” 

In true Zamzow fashion, he attributes the recognition he has received to his team and the strong relationships he has built at AU. 

“Receiving this award is not just a recognition of my work, but a reflection of the incredible support I’ve received from my team, my colleagues, and the leadership at Augusta University,” Zamzow said. “It reminds me of the importance of the work we do and reinforces my commitment to the alumni and students of Augusta University.”