WCU Stories      September 3, 2024

By BILL STUDENC

Wesley Cogdill, executive director of the Bulldog Club at Gardner-Webb University, has been appointed associate athletics director and director of the Catamount Club at Western Carolina University.

Cogdill’s appointment and an organizational restructuring that brings the Catamount Club under the Division of Advancement are effective Sept. 1.

“We believe that Wes Cogdill will be an incredible leader for the Catamount Club who will manage its staff, steward its current members, expand its membership and increase annual fundraising for athletics at WCU,” said Ben Pendry, vice chancellor for advancement. “It won’t hurt that he knows this university, as his father, who grew up in Sylva, is a WCU alumnus.”

Executive director of the Bulldog Club since 2022, Cogdill previously served as a fundraiser for three years in Gardner-Webb’s Office of Advancement and as an undergraduate admissions counselor at GWU. He is a 2008 graduate of Gardner-Webb, where he majored in communications and was a four-year letterman on the Bulldogs baseball team, earning Academic All-Conference honors.

Cogdill also completed his lateral entry teacher certification in 2013 and has five years of experience as a secondary school exceptional children’s teacher in Wilkes County, also coaching high school golf and middle school baseball.

Cogdill’s appointment comes as WCU approaches the public launch of its “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign this fall. The campaign, with an overarching focus on enhancing the total student experience, has an overall goal of raising a minimum of $75 million in support of WCU’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs.

"We are pleased to welcome Wes Cogdill to Catamount Nation,” said Alex Gary, athletics director. "His experience growing the membership of the Bulldog Club, as a front-line fundraiser and as a collegiate student-athlete will serve him well in his new role.”

“Fill the Western Sky” is only the third comprehensive fundraising campaign in WCU’s history – and the first to prioritize raising money for improvements to the university’s aging athletics infrastructure.

“This is an exciting time to join the Western Carolina family,” Cogdill said. “I am eager to get to work to help generate the financial support needed to give Catamount student-athletes the type of first-class facilities they deserve. I’m looking forward to meeting the Catamount fanbase, which has a reputation as one of the most devoted in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.”

For more information or to make a contribution to the campaign, visit WesternSky.wcu.edu, call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.   

For more information or to join the Catamount Club, contact the Catamount Club by phone at 828- 227-3047 or by email at catamountclub@wcu.edu.