Patrick Gwamna Hired as Director of Development

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kristi Hettrick ’96 announced Patrick Gwamna as Graceland’s newest Director of Development. Gwamna joined Graceland in February and brings experience both in higher education and in corporate sales training and marketing.

Most recently, he worked for Farmers Insurance as an inside sales coach and senior service advocate.

“I chose Graceland because it is the embodiment of what a prototypical, private liberal arts university should stand for. It is small but big in acceptance and culture,” he said. “It’s the same type of university culture that raised me and my brothers when my parents were professors.”

Gwamna graduated in 2016 with a degree in Visual Communications from Iowa Wesleyan in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, which announced last year that it was closing its doors. He also holds a minor in marketing from Culver Stockton College.

His parents are both retired professors born in Nigeria, which gave him a passion for higher education. Even as a first-generation American student at Iowa Wesleyan, he was focused on how he could further student success and worked in the International Affairs office. He helped ensure international students at Iowa Wesleyan were cared for and had a meaningful student experience on campus.

“Having parents in higher education made me used to being around different types of people, especially since they were international professors,” Gwamna said. “We always had students or faculty at the house, either studying or for dinner. I was raised to prioritize education and connections – something I take with me in my everyday life.”

Patrick will work with other advancement team members on fundraising for the Blue, Gold, and Bold strategic plan, prioritizing student recruitment and retention through scholarships, programs, and capital initiatives for both the undergraduate and graduate campus communities.

“I am so excited to introduce Patrick to the Graceland community,” said Hettrick. “He is passionate about higher education and understands exactly the challenges schools like Graceland face. Unfortunately, he knows what it feels like when your alma mater closes. From the first time I met him he shared with me he never wants someone else to know what it feels like not to be able to go back to campus and visit the place that helped you develop and learn and make lifelong connections. That unique perspective, plus his background as not only a student athlete but also a student who loved performing arts, will bring important insights to our team. His story is important to Graceland alumni and to our students, and we are grateful he chose to come back to Iowa to help us address the needs of our students.”