Purdue News
Purdue News
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January 22, 2001 PRF’s senior vice president to retireWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Jeffrey H. Wilson, Purdue Research Foundation senior vice president and treasurer, will retire June 30, after 36 years with the university and the foundation.
"Jeff Wilson has done a remarkable job of managing a highly complex enterprise," Purdue President Martin C. Jischke said. "He leaves the foundation in excellent financial shape with an experienced and talented staff. Jeff and his team have worked hard to help Purdue expand its mission as a contributor to economic development opportunities essential to enhancing Indiana’s future." Jischke, who also serves as foundation president, said plans to choose Wilson's successor will be announced soon. The Purdue Research Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that may accept gifts, administer trusts, acquire property, negotiate research contracts and perform other services helpful to Purdue. In 1961, it established the Purdue Research Park where 90 corporate tenants operate businesses, employing 2,500 people. In addition to directing the foundation, Wilson serves as Purdue's investment, real estate and trust officer. The foundation opened its first high-tech business incubator in the Purdue Research Park in 1993 after several faculty members approached Wilson's staff with requests for office and lab space. "We began to realize that it was going to be difficult to attract outside companies to relocate to the research park and that if we wanted to build the park into a high-tech epicenter, we were going to have to help grow these businesses from scratch," Wilson said. With that goal in mind, the foundation began to provide start-up businesses in its incubator with a shared office concept, flexible leases, attractive rental rates, shared office services and access to professional business assistance – including market analysis, networking and financial resources. A second incubator building was constructed by the foundation, an existing building was converted into a third incubator and another building was completed to house companies that matured out of the incubator stage. In eight years, the park's small-business incubation complex has launched more than 36 high-tech companies. Many of these companies were started by faculty to develop Purdue-licensed technologies. A native of Valparaiso, Ind., Wilson began his career at Purdue in 1965 as a business office trainee. He served as administrative assistant for the Purdue Research Foundation from 1966-1971, comptroller from 1971-1988, and vice president and treasurer from 1988-1994. Wilson was promoted to his present position in 1994. "When I became treasurer, I had two main goals I wanted to see through: to build the foundation’s base of capital and to ensure that Purdue had the room it needed to grow," Wilson said. Since Wilson came on board in 1989, the foundation's total assets have more than tripled in value. Wilson and his staff also have seen similar growth in the foundation’s investment returns. PRF currently owns more than 130 properties and approximately 10,000 acres of Indiana farmland, which are part of its $550 million holdings. Recent purchases have included land for the Krannert School of Management expansion project as well as the Visual and Performing Arts Center. "I have enjoyed working with President Jischke for the past few months, and I appreciate his support as my wife, Sue, and I start this new chapter in our lives," Wilson said. "We bought a home in Florida two years ago and we plan to move there to enjoy our retirement." Wilson holds a bachelor of science degree in management from Indiana University. He has served as a member of the board of directors or as treasurer for numerous community organizations in the Greater Lafayette area. He is director of the board of Fifth Third Bank of Central Indiana. For his work as a longtime financial advisor to Gemini Cooperative and the Purdue Student Housing Corp., Wilson received the M. Beverly Stone Award for non-academic counseling in 1985. Established in 1930, Purdue Research Foundation is one of the first major university-affiliated foundations to be incorporated for the purpose of assisting a university in carrying out its missions. Source: Jeffrey H. Wilson, (765) 494-8642; jhwilson@prf.purdue.edu Writer: Jeanine Smith, (765) 496-3133; jeanine@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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